PRESS RELEASE

Philippine Embassy, Canberra

1 Moonah Place, Yarralumla, ACT 2600
www.philembassy.org.au    *Tel. No. 02-6273-2535*

02 September 2026, CANBERRA - The Philippines and Australia convened the 6th Maritime Dialogue in Canberra on 02 September 2026. The Dialogue was co-chaired by Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Donato Guzman and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Southeast Asia Strategy and Maritime Security Branch Assistant Secretary Glenn Elson.

The discussions covered a range of shared maritime priorities, including upholding international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), enhancing maritime domain awareness, protecting the marine environment, combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and promoting sustainable development of the blue economy.

Philippine Ambassador to Australia H.E. Antonio Morales, as well as officials from the Office of the Philippine Defence and Armed Forces Attaché, Philippine Coast Guard, and Palawan Sustainable Development Council also attended the dialogue.

On 01 September 2026, officials also engaged with academics from the Philippines and Australia. The dialogue provided an opportunity to discuss perspectives and potential initiatives to promote regional stability and address emerging maritime challenges, including marine resource protection, critical marine infrastructure, and maritime resilience through marine environmental cooperation, capacity-building, and educational opportunities.

Philippine academic participants included experts from the University of the Philippines (UP) Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea (IMLOS), Marine Science Institute (MSI), and National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS). The engagement highlighted the important contribution of academic and scientific communities to strengthening maritime policy, knowledge-sharing, innovation, research and capacity-building.

The 6th Maritime Dialogue was held in the context of several significant milestones in 2026, including the Philippines’ celebration of Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANAMo) in September, the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Australia.

As maritime democracies, the Philippines and Australia continue to broaden cooperation across a range of maritime issues. Through sustained dialogue, institutional exchanges, capacity-building, and collaboration among government, academic, and scientific communities, both countries are committed to working closely to advance shared interests for regional peace, security and stability. - END

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