ASEAN Leaders Tackle First Charter Amendment Since 2007 — 'Cebu Protocol' to Accommodate Timor-Leste as 11th Member; ASEAN Maritime Centre Proposed for Philippines

The 48th ASEAN Leaders' Summit in Cebu is set to adopt the 'Cebu Protocol to Amend the Charter of ASEAN' — the first amendment to the ASEAN Charter since it was signed in November 2007. Philstar reported the amendment is designed primarily to strengthen ASEAN's institutional framework to accommodate the full integration of Timor-Leste as ASEAN's 11th member, which formally acceded to ASEAN in October 2025 under the Philippines' chairmanship. The Cebu Protocol represents a significant institutional milestone: in nearly two decades since the original charter, ASEAN has resisted treaty-level modifications to preserve bloc consensus. The amendment streamlines integration procedures and updates governance provisions relevant to enlargement. The Summit is also expected to endorse an ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Maritime Cooperation, a landmark document that would: (1) formally elevate the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum to a recognized sectoral body with a permanent mandate; (2) establish a new ASEAN Maritime Centre to be hosted by the Philippines, positioning Manila as the institutional hub for maritime law enforcement coordination in the region; and (3) reinforce ASEAN's commitment to freedom of navigation and the 1982 UNCLOS as the framework for resolving maritime disputes. The Maritime Centre, if confirmed, would be a direct outgrowth of Philippines' 2026 ASEAN chairmanship theme 'Navigating Our Future, Together' and the surge of Philippine Coast Guard capacity-building under Marcos. Separately, ASEAN foreign ministers were scheduled to formally receive Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão for a commemorative session marking Timor-Leste's transition to full membership.