Regional Security Cooperation Strengthened Through 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in Melaka
MELAKA, September 10 (VoM): ASEAN marked a significant milestone today as ministers and the ASEAN Secretary-General, gathered at the 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in Melaka, reached consensus to further strengthen regional security cooperation.
Chaired by Malaysia, the meeting confirmed the ASEAN Plan of Action in Combatting Transnational Crime (2026–2035), a key guiding document to address cross-border crime in the coming decade. This reflects ASEAN’s collective commitment to keeping pace with increasingly complex security challenges.
The ministers also adopted the establishment of a SOMTC Working Group on Anti-Money Laundering, designed to intensify regional efforts in combating financial crimes. In addition, the ASEAN Border Management Cooperation Roadmap was endorsed to streamline cross-sectoral collaboration in immigration and border control.
Several key declarations were announced, including the Melaka Declaration on Combatting Transnational Crime, alongside ASEAN-wide declarations on human trafficking, cybercrime, and online fraud. Ministers further endorsed three ASEAN Leaders’ Declarations addressing anti-money laundering measures, cooperation on fugitive extradition, and the use of sports as a tool to build community resilience against violent extremism.
The meeting also agreed to extend two important frameworks, the ASEAN Plan of Action to Prevent and Counter the Rise of Radicalization and Violent Extremism (2018–2025) and the Bali Work Plan (2019–2025), until 2026, ensuring continuity in regional strategies to counter radicalization and violent extremism.
Delegates also heard contributions from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the ASEAN Inter, Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), and META, which shared insights on legal frameworks, regional cooperation, and challenges posed by emerging digital technologies in addressing transnational crime.
With these outcomes, the 19th AMMTC not only reviewed ASEAN’s achievements over the past decade but also charted a more comprehensive path forward, underscoring the region’s determination to remain at the forefront in tackling transnational crime.
@voice of malaysia news
@Photo credit: KDN