The 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings were held from 6 to 8 May 2026 in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, the Philippines. The summit was convened at the invitation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines and Chair of ASEAN in 2026, under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together.” The opening ceremony was officiated by President Marcos and attended by ASEAN leaders, ASEAN foreign ministers, and other high-level dignitaries. ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn led the ASEAN Secretariat delegation.
Ten heads of state were present. Myanmar was represented by U Hau Khan Sum, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rather than a head of government, an arrangement that follows a standing decision among ASEAN leaders. The attendance of Timor-Leste, which formally joined ASEAN on 26 October 2025, brought the total membership to eleven states.
Ahead of the summit, a series of ministerial-level preparatory meetings were held, including the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), the 31st ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting, the 38th ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting, and the ASEAN Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers’ Meeting. A Special BIMP-EAGA Summit was also convened.
Agenda and Priorities
The Philippines’ chairmanship theme encapsulates ASEAN’s commitment to deepening integration, strengthening economic cooperation, and navigating evolving global challenges with unity and cohesion. ASEAN leaders discussed ways to strengthen the region’s trade, energy, and food security, as well as accelerate the region’s green energy transition amidst supply chain disruptions and rising energy prices due to the situation in the Middle East.
ASEAN Spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial, speaking at the International Media Centre, confirmed that ASEAN leaders focused on three urgent priorities: energy security, food security, and the safety of ASEAN nationals. He also stated that the Philippines, as chair, continued to advance key priorities in the preparatory meetings, including preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, the continued integration of Timor-Leste, and the latest developments in Myanmar.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, President Marcos addressed the bloc directly. He stated: “For ASEAN has always drawn its strength not from uniformity, but from unity. So as we begin our work today, let our discussions be guided by wisdom, openness, and our enduring commitment to one another.”
At the plenary session, Marcos added: “The work of ASEAN must continue, not despite the challenges, but because the times demand our answers to those challenges, for our peoples, for our countries, for ASEAN.”
Key Outcome Documents
The Philippines endorsed three important outcome documents under the ASEAN Political-Security Community Pillar for consideration by ASEAN leaders. The first is the Cebu Protocol to Amend the Charter of ASEAN, which will mark the first amendment to the ASEAN Charter since its signing in 2007, reflecting ASEAN’s continued institutional strengthening, particularly in support of Timor-Leste’s full integration into the bloc.
The Philippines also presented the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation, which highlights ASEAN’s commitment to maritime cooperation through concrete initiatives, including the inclusion of the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum as an ASEAN sectoral body and the proposed establishment of an ASEAN Maritime Centre in the Philippines.
