UN chief lauds ASEAN for pursuit of dialogue on sea disputes

Emphasizing on advancing peace through diplomacy, the UN chief on Thursday lauded Southeast Asian nations for seeking dialogue to avoid conflicts.

“I am grateful to ASEAN member states for your pursuit of dialogue and peaceful dispute resolution, rooted in the respect for international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Antonio Guterres told a UN summit with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.

Guterres's statement comes amid tensions in the disputed South China Sea between China and several ASEAN member nations.

Jakarta is hosting the annual summit of the regional bloc which concludes Thursday.

Commending ASEAN for its “vital role in building bridges of understanding all over the world,” he said: “We face tests as far as the eye can see – from the climate emergency … to a global cost-of-living crisis … to raging conflicts … to growing poverty, hunger, and inequalities.”

Pointing out challenges “aggravated by rising geopolitical tensions,” Guterres said: “There is a real risk of fragmentation – of a Great Fracture in world economic and financial systems; with diverging strategies on technology and artificial intelligence and conflicting security frameworks.”

“ASEAN has played an extremely important role as a center that convenes all those that, unfortunately, represent the most dramatic divisions in today’s world and these series of summits is a demonstration of that fundamental convening role of ASEAN,” said the UN chief.