The Governments of Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Member Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Government of Australia (hereinafter referred to collectively as “the participants”);

Mindful of the 2001 ASEAN Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism, which, inter alia, undertakes to strengthen cooperation at bilateral, regional and international levels in combating terrorism in a comprehensive manner;

Reaffirming their determination to prevent, suppress and eliminate international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law and having regard to all relevant United Nations resolutions or declarations on international terrorism and affirming that the United Nations should play a major role in combating terrorism;

Recognizing the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States;

Rejecting any attempt to associate terrorism with any religion, race or nationality;

Welcoming the resolutions adopted by the 23^rd ASEANAPOL Conference held in Manila to strengthen the campaign against terrorism by working for the criminalization of terrorism and to build capacity to combat terrorism; 

Noting the resolve of the Co-Chair’s Statement from the 2004 Bali Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism to enhance regional cooperation on counter-terrorism;

Supporting the ASEAN Regional Forum’s (ARF) continuing commitment to strengthen regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism;

Noting also the strong re-affirmation of commitment to enhancing regional counter-terrorism cooperation contained in the 2003 APEC Economic Leaders’ statement;

Realising that terrorism constitutes a serious threat to ASEAN and Australia’s peace, security and economic prosperity, and contravenes the laws, religious beliefs and fundamental values of all countries concerned;

Recognising that the trans-national nature of terrorism calls for a comprehensive approach that embraces action on many fronts;

Encouraged by the strong co-operation between the Member Countries of ASEAN and Australia on security, intelligence and law enforcement matters, and desiring to strengthen and expand thisco-operation to fight international terrorism through the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime, as a leading ASEAN body for combating terrorism, and other mechanisms;

Declare as follows:

Objectives

1.The participants reaffirm the importance of having a framework for cooperation to prevent, disrupt and combat international terrorism through exchange and flow of information and intelligence, and capacity-building.

2.The participants emphasize that the purpose of this cooperation is to enhance the efficacy of those efforts to combat terrorism.

Scope and Areas of Cooperation

3. The participants stress their commitment to seek to implement the principles laid out in this Declaration, in conformity with their obligations under international law and in accordance with their respective domestic laws and their specific circumstances, in any or all of the following areas:

• Enhance cooperation and liaison among their law enforcement and security agencies to strengthen counter-terrorism regimes and engender practical and effective responses to the terrorist threat.

• Enhance cooperation and liaison among their law enforcement and security agencies to strengthen counter-terrorism regimes and engender practical and effective responses to the terrorist threat.

• Enhance cooperation and liaison among their law enforcement and security agencies to strengthen counter-terrorism regimes and engender practical and effective responses to the terrorist threat.

• Enhance cooperation and liaison among their law enforcement and security agencies to strengthen counter-terrorism regimes and engender practical and effective responses to the terrorist threat.

• Enhance cooperation and liaison among their law enforcement and security agencies to strengthen counter-terrorism regimes and engender practical and effective responses to the terrorist threat.

• Enhance cooperation and liaison among their law enforcement and security agencies to strengthen counter-terrorism regimes and engender practical and effective responses to the terrorist threat.

• Enhance cooperation and liaison among their law enforcement and security agencies to strengthen counter-terrorism regimes and engender practical and effective responses to the terrorist threat.

• Enhance cooperation and liaison among their law enforcement and security agencies to strengthen counter-terrorism regimes and engender practical and effective responses to the terrorist threat.

Participation

4. The participants are encouraged to become parties to all 12 of the United Nations conventions and protocols relating to terrorism.

5. The participants are each called upon to designate an agency to coordinate with law enforcement and security agencies, authorities dealing with countering terrorist financing and other concerned government agencies, and to act as the central point of contact for the purposes of implementing the Declaration.

Disclosure of Information

6. The participants expect that no participant would disclose or distribute any confidential information, documents or data received in connection with this Declaration to any third party, at any time, except to the extent agreed in writing by the participant that provided the information.