Kuala lumpur: ASEAN must remain united in its commitment to a nuclear weapon-free Southeast Asia amid growing global security uncertainties and the resurgence of nuclear risks, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He emphasized the importance of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty as a living dynamic commitment that contributes to regional and global disarmament efforts.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohamad called upon all ASEAN member states to remain steadfast in their pursuit of a nuclear-weapon-free Southeast Asia during the SEANWFZ Commission meeting. This meeting was held in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings. He highlighted the significance of the SEANWFZ Treaty, marking its 30th anniversary this year, and noted that Timor-Leste’s upcoming accession would further expand its geographical coverage and strategic relevance.

Mohamad expressed concern that Southeast Asia remains the only nuclear-weapon-free zone yet to receive formal recognition from nuclear-weapon states (NWS) through the signing and ratification of the Treaty’s Protocol. He welcomed the readiness of the NWS to engage with ASEAN towards signing and ratifying the Protocol and urged ASEAN to respond constructively with urgency. He stressed the need for collective efforts to create conditions for the NWS to take this important step, resolving outstanding issues in accordance with the Treaty’s principles and objectives.

The SEANWFZ Treaty, also known as the Bangkok Treaty, was signed in December 1995 in Bangkok by ASEAN member states as a commitment to preserve Southeast Asia as a region free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, coming into force in March 1997. While all 10 ASEAN member states have ratified the Treaty, efforts to secure the signatures of the five recognized NWS-China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States-remain ongoing. Under the protocol, each NWS is required to respect the SEANWFZ Treaty and pledge not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any state party to the Treaty or within the zone.

According to the ASEAN website, efforts are underway to secure the accession of the NWS to the Protocol. The 58th AMM and related meetings, under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025 with the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, will feature 24 ministerial-level meetings involving ASEAN Dialogue Partners and Sectoral Dialogue Partners. The four-day high-level events are expected to bring together around 1,500 delegates, including foreign ministers from ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) participants, Sectoral Dialogue Partners, and senior ASEAN Secretariat officials.