[Title] EAST ASIA SUMMIT LEADERS' STATEMENTON MAINTAINING AND PROMOTING THE REGION AS AN EPICENTRUM OF GROWTH

WE, the participating countries of the East Asia Summit (EAS) met on 7 September 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia, under Indonesia's 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship on the occasion of the 18th East Asia Summit;

REAFFIRMING our commitment to the purposes and principles reflected in the Charter of the United Nations, the ASEAN Charter, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the 2005 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the East Asia Summit, and the 2011 Declaration of the East Asia Summit on the Principles for Mutually Beneficial Relations (the Bali Principles);

STRESSING our commitment to the EAS as a Leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in East Asia, and expressing our willingness to work together to promote the common goals and interests of the EAS participating countries based on the established principles, objectives and modalities of the EAS;

SUPPORTING ASEAN's unity and centrality in ASEAN-led mechanisms and reaffirming ASEAN as the driving force within the EAS, working in close partnership with the other participating countries, in which we strive to promote strategic trust and ensure transparent, predictable and responsible behaviour;

FURTHER REAFFIRMING the common interest to maintain, promote, and sustain peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, including through the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law;

RECOGNISING that a maritime regime in the region that is consistent with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has facilitated our region's impressive economic growth;

RECOGNISING the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapidly changing global and regional geopolitical and geo-economic landscapes, including the advancement in technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution;

FURTHER RECOGNISING that the impacts of rising geopolitical tensions and conflicts, global economic volatilities, socio-economic inequalities, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the urgent challenge of climate change require joint efforts and mutual support in the region and beyond;

WE HEREBY DECLARE on the occasion of the 18th East Asia Summit to reaffirm our shared commitment:

1. to be guided by the principles for friendly and mutually beneficial relations as enshrined in the Bali Principles, and create a peaceful environment for further enhancing cooperation and strengthening the existing bonds of friendship among our countries and for our peoples in keeping with the principles of equality, partnership, consultation, and mutual respect to continue to promote peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region;

2. to promote an enabling environment for peace, stability, good governance, prosperity, and sustainable development for all through ensuring a culture of dialogue and cooperation, enhancing mutual trust and confidence, and respect for international law;

3. to promote multilateralism based on international law, particularly the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including to strengthen the regional multilateral architecture to tackle pressing common regional and global issues and challenges, and to support a regional and international order anchored in international law, thus contributing to community building in the region;

4. to reinforce an open, transparent, and inclusive regional architecture, anchored in international law, with ASEAN at the centre as guided by the purposes and principles of ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms;

5. to maintain and promote the region as an epicentrum of growth by building resilience against emerging challenges and future shocks through cooperation on enhancing energy security and food security, maintaining financial stability, and strengthening regional health architecture;

In support of maintaining and promoting the region as an epicentrum of growth, WE HEREBY DECIDE TO:

6. Strengthen cooperation and partnership to ensure that the region remains relevant, competitive, inclusive, forward-looking, resilient, adaptive, and responsive to future regional and global challenges in support of the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on ASEAN as an Epicentrum of Growth and the implementation of the East Asia Summit Plan of Action (2024-2028);

7. Strengthen partnerships and potential cross-sectoral collaborations to accelerate efforts in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

8. Strengthen economic resilience, including through enhancing regional economic integration, facilitating trade and investment, addressing socio- economic inequalities, and accelerating inclusive digital transformation by, among others, facilitating cross-border flows of data while protecting personal information and strengthening consumer and business trust in the digital economy;

9. Advance women's and youth's economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, including through inclusive and equitable innovation, trade, business, human capital development, and financial inclusion;

10. Enhance energy security by accelerating clean, sustainable, just, affordable, and inclusive energy transition through various pathways and supporting low carbon economies in ASEAN, including through the mobilisation of finance, access to technology on voluntary and mutually agreed terms, the promotion of innovation, and the development of a regional electric vehicle ecosystem, while noting EAS participating countries' initiatives in supporting this effort to achieve net zero emissions/carbon neutrality in the region;

11. Support ASEAN in its efforts to conserve, protect, and advocate for the sustainable use of biodiversity, promote nature-based solutions where appropriate, and support capacity building on technical and scientific cooperation for the management of biodiversity, with the support of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity;

12. Promote cooperation on environmental management to meet the socio- economic and cultural needs of present and future generations and contribute positively to sustainable development;

13. Enhance cooperation on climate change, including through strengthening collaboration for the full and effective implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement;

14. Strengthen regional and global supply chain connectivity to make supply chains more resilient, sustainable, secure, and less vulnerable to shocks, as well as to advance stronger and more sustainable economic growth in the region;

15. Reaffirm our commitment to democratic values, good governance, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, tolerance, mutual respect, adherence to social justice, as well as recognising and respecting diversity of ethnic, religious, cultural traditions and values, views and positions, which contribute to and support equitable and inclusive economic growth;

16. Strengthen the rules-based, non-discriminatory, free, fair, open, inclusive, equitable, sustainable, and transparent multilateral trading system (MTS), with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core;

17. Enhance regional food security for our peoples, including through maintaining sustainable food production and distribution; strengthening climate-smart agriculture; enhancing sustainable and resilient food supply chains; as well as promoting seamless and efficient logistics systems and better trade facilitation consistent with relevant WTO agreements and in accordance with respective national laws and regulations to improve the efficiency of our agri-food systems;

18. Support the region's financial resilience to external shocks by implementing sound and inclusive macroeconomic, fiscal, and financial stability policies; strengthening regional supply chain resilience; promoting coordination and cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and with the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization, as the regional financial safety net; as well as conducting regular monitoring and evaluation of risks and vulnerabilities;

19. Strengthen the convergence of poverty eradication initiatives at the local, national, and regional levels through exchange of ideas, experience sharing and mutual learning, and encourage North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation by such means as policy consultation, community-level learning, forums and meetings as well as pilot projects;

20. Promote cooperation on sustainable and inclusive growth of the coastal economy for the benefit of coastal communities in the region in areas such as livelihood improvement, infrastructure and trade links development, and climate resilience;

21. Advance regional maritime cooperation through ASEAN-led mechanisms by, among others, promoting the sustainable use and management of marine resources and protection and conservation of marine environment, biodiversity, and ecosystems; increasing efforts to develop maritime connectivity in line with and in support of the vision and goals of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025; Search and Rescue (SAR) operations; Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR); ASEAN's development of the Blue Economy; addressing and combating the adverse impacts of pollution, ocean acidification, marine debris, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, piracy, and armed robbery against ships;

22. Promote peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight, other internationally lawful uses of the seas and unimpeded lawful maritime commerce, the exercise of self-restraint, the non-use of force or the threat to use force against another state consistent with the UN Charter, mutual trust and confidence, as well as peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, as well as the relevant instruments and conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO);

23. Reinforce connectivity within and beyond the region, including through the enhancement of regional energy inter-connectivity, security and resilience, as well as supporting the implementation of the MPAC 2025 and the development of its successor document and the facilitation of coordination and synergies between MPAC 2025 with other connectivity initiatives;

24. Enhance cross-pillar collaboration across existing sectoral bodies to maximise the positive impact of smart cities projects on citizens' lives, as well as promote and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship to unlock the potential of digital technology and start-ups and to share best practices to spur smart cities' development;

25. Strengthen regional prevention, preparedness, and response capabilities for health issues and emergencies, including mental health issues and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases as well as their multi-faceted challenges, by building more resilient, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable health systems, as well as promoting multisectoral cooperation through the implementation of the One Health approach, among others;

26. Cooperate on human resource development, labour productivity, intensifying education cooperation to adapt to technological advances and economic development, encouraging the promotion of a life-long learning society, including in support of the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resource Development for the Changing World of Work and its Roadmap, the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021-2025, and the ASEAN Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council Work Plan 2021-2030, where possible;

27. Support social welfare and development by strengthening social protection for everyone, especially those in vulnerable situations;

28. Enhance cultural cooperation to strengthen the promotion and development of the region's creative industries and its vital contribution to economic growth;

29. Explore the possibilities of joint actions to facilitate the recovery of the tourism- related industries, including by improving infrastructure, advancing digital transformation of tourism, and developing innovative tourism and tourism- related products including cultural tourism;

30. Promote whole-of-society and whole-of-government collaboration and partnership among EAS participating countries, international organisations, and other relevant international entities to better protect migrant workers and their family members already residing with them, throughout the entire migration process, including during crisis situations, in accordance with their respective national laws, regulations, and policies, and applicable international law;

31. Promote a culture of peace and dialogue, including through enhancing and supporting the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agendas;

32. Cooperate to counter terrorism and transnational crime to address current and future threats in a comprehensive manner, including through enhancing capacity to respond to such threats and using new and evolving technologies to enhance this effort;

33. Support ASEAN's continuous efforts on the mainstreaming and implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) through the implementation of the East Asia Summit Plan of Action (2024-2028), and the follow up on the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum: Implementation of the AOIP, as well as other concrete projects and activities; and that the AOIP is ASEAN's own initiative which is intended to enhance ASEAN Community building process, as well as strengthen and complement cooperation with all partners, as reflected in the East Asia Summit Plan of Action (2024-2028) adopted at the 13th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting;

34. Task the Group of the East Asia Summit Ambassadors in Jakarta to discuss ways to strengthen EAS as a Leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic, political, and economic issues through the implementation of EAS Leaders' Statements, Declarations, decisions, and initiatives, exchange information on regional development cooperation initiatives and security policies and initiatives, and discuss the evolving regional architecture;

We also exchanged views on regional and global issues that may affect the region as the epicentrum of growth.

ADOPTED in Jakarta, Indonesia on the Seventh Day of September in the Year Two Thousand and Twenty-Three.