Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro called on Southeast Asian nations to strengthen regional solidarity as she warned that the global security environment is under “immense strain” during the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission meeting on Monday.
Chairing the 2026 ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Lazaro said the region is entering a “new tide” and a “new decade” for the SEANWFZ Treaty as it marks the pact’s 31st anniversary this year.
She reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to keeping Southeast Asia free from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
“As we enter the new decade for the treaty, we stand true to our vision for the region to remain a nuclear weapon-free zone and free of all other weapons of mass destruction,” Lazaro said.
She, however, stressed that the anniversary should also prompt “deeper introspection on the future that ASEAN faces with the treaty.”
Lazaro warned that weakening global commitments to nuclear disarmament and growing distrust among nations pose a serious threat to decades of progress in nuclear non-proliferation.
She cited the failure of the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), held from April 27 to May 22, to adopt a final outcome document because of “fundamental differences on critical issues.”
“Colleagues, these are pressures to our regional peace and security that we cannot simply ignore,” she said.
Looking ahead, Lazaro urged ASEAN member states to sustain the implementation of Phase Three of the treaty’s Plan of Action in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
“We must continue to enhance the treaty’s viability and relevance in multilateral fora, reaffirming Southeast Asia’s enduring commitment to nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” she said.
A key agenda item during the meeting was ASEAN’s continued effort to secure the accession of nuclear-weapon states to the SEANWFZ Protocol.
Lazaro called for intensified diplomatic efforts to address remaining concerns and bridge outstanding issues to encourage nuclear powers to join the protocol.
She also commended Thailand, the treaty’s depository state in 2025, for leading activities commemorating the agreement’s 30th anniversary and emphasized that preserving Southeast Asia as a zone of peace, freedom and neutrality remains a shared regional responsibility.
