ASEAN and UK Strengthen Cooperation Amidst Philippines’ 2026 Chairmanship

JAKARTA, 4 March 2026 – The 5th ASEAN-United Kingdom Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) Meeting took place today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat, marking the fifth anniversary of the ASEAN-UK Dialogue Partnership. Both sides are commemorating this milestone with a series of activities throughout 2026.

Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship Welcomed

The meeting participants welcomed the Philippines’ priorities for its 2026 ASEAN Chairship, centered around the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together.” This endorsement signals continued collaboration as the Philippines takes the lead in regional initiatives. The UK has demonstrated strong support for the Philippines’ chairmanship, with a business delegation led by UK ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) chair Lord Vaizey visiting Manila in October 2025 to strengthen bilateral relations and explore investment opportunities .

Progress on Existing Cooperation and Future Collaboration

Officials expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action (POA) 2022-2026 across the three ASEAN Community Pillars – Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural. With the POA nearing completion, both sides are committed to fulfilling remaining action lines by year-complete, laying the groundwork for a successor plan.

Discussions focused on expanding cooperation in several key areas, including:

• Maritime security
• Cybersecurity
• Trade and investment
• Economic integration
• Green finance
• Sustainable development
• Supply chain resilience
• Financial services
• Digital transformation
• E-commerce
• Artificial intelligence
• Financial technology

Expanding Cooperation into New Domains

Beyond existing initiatives, the meeting highlighted opportunities for enhanced collaboration in climate change, renewable energy, energy transition, aging societies, education, people-to-people exchanges, health, women’s economic empowerment, science, technology, innovation, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), youth, cultural exchanges, connectivity, smart cities, and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI).

Alignment on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific

Both ASEAN and the UK reaffirmed the importance of advancing cooperation within the four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). The UK proposed a joint ASEAN-UK Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the AOIP, signifying a shared commitment to the framework.

Meeting Participants

The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Ton Thi Ngoc Huong, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to ASEAN, and Helen Fazey, the UK Ambassador to ASEAN. Attendees included Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (or their representatives), the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Political-Security Community, and their respective delegations.

ASEAN comprises 10 Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Timor-Leste is currently working towards accession as ASEAN’s 11th Member State.