The Philippines plays host to two Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 48th and 49th summits in May and November 2026 respectively. Under the theme “Navigating our future, Together,” the fora focus on three strategic priorities, namely: strengthening peace and security by ensuring regional stability in a challenging geopolitical environment; enhancing economic connectivity by building “prosperity corridors” to promote shared growth across the region; and empowering people by supporting communities through inclusive and sustainable development. Planned as a “very barebones” meeting, the 48th Summit on May 8-9 in Cebu City, participated by leaders of the 11-member states is trained on urgent issues on oil supply, food security, and migrant workers. These are outcomes of global geopolitical tensions resulting from the US-Israel-Iran war.

ASEAN’s response is “serious concern” as expressed by the ASEAN’s first foreign ministers conference held on 4 March 2026. The bloc warned that the widening conflict threatened civilian lives, regional stability, and global peace, and called for an immediate ceasefire grounded in international law and the UN Charter. ASEAN called for peace without taking a definitive side in the conflict. The statement issued by the foreign ministers remains largely diplomatic boilerplate – calling for restraint and dialogue rather than taking any substantive position. Such response acknowledges the gravity of the situation on the one hand, and rests on the organization’s foundational principles of neutrality and consensus and encouragement of restraint and dialogue known as the ASEAN Way on the other hand. Itis the binding principle that underpins the concept of inter-state relation and regional cooperation.

The 49th Summit on November 10-12 in Manila is intended to be the full-scale, comprehensive gathering of the year with ASEAN’s heads of government and its 11 dialogue partners. Key topics for discussion are regional and global strategic issues, including maritime security, the situation in the South China Sea, and other geopolitical challenges apart from political, economic, and socio-cultural issues. The Manila summit is deemed essential for discussing long-term strategy and other major geopolitical matters that require the involvement of larger global powers.

Although unanimity, practiced through consensus-based decision-making, is a fundamental, cornerstone principle of ASEAN, unity is largely rhetorical. In reality, member states respond differently based on domestic politics, and foreign policy traditions. The diversity of the region in terms of ethnicity, religion,........

© E-International