Philippines to Lead ASEAN Summit in 2026, Myanmar Loses Its Turn
Myanmar Faces Setback as Philippines Takes 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship
Leaders from ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) have decided that the Philippines will host the ASEAN summit in 2026 instead of Myanmar. This decision is a blow to Myanmar’s military leaders who took control of the country in February 2021, and they’ve been trying to gain recognition on the international stage.
At the 43rd ASEAN Summit held in Jakarta, Indonesia, leaders discussed the progress of a plan called the five-point consensus (5PC) aimed at bringing stability back to Myanmar.
Back in April 2021, ASEAN leaders agreed to the 5PC, which included stopping violence in Myanmar, encouraging peaceful talks among the involved parties, and sending a special envoy to help with negotiations.
However, despite these agreements, there hasn’t been much progress in Myanmar. The military leaders who now run the country have not followed through on their commitments to the 5PC. This has left ASEAN leaders very concerned.
In light of this, ASEAN has decided to keep Myanmar’s political representatives out of the ASEAN Summit and the meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, which they had previously suspended.
They also made it clear that the 5PC should remain the main plan for addressing Myanmar’s political crisis. ASEAN leaders called on Myanmar’s military (Tatmadaw) and all other parties to stop violence and attacks on civilians and public places.
The Philippines is now prepared to chair the ASEAN Summit in 2026. The leadership of ASEAN rotates each year based on the English names of the member countries, and the Philippines will be next in line. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stated that his country is ready to lead and will work with other nations to strengthen ASEAN’s role in promoting peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region.