Amid uncertainty over the superpower rivalry in the region, Indonesia and Asian countries must uphold a rules-based order, which is also one of the key principles in the recently adopted ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, a senior diplomat has said.

Foreign Ministry Asia-Pacific and African Affairs Director General Desra Percaya said Asian countries should collaborate more on how to shape the international rule of law and norm-setting and “anticipate the swing of the geopolitical and geostrategic pendulum in the region".

The United States and China have been engaged in a prolonged trade war that has been impacting growth in the region, while also competing on various strategic fronts, including infrastructure and security.

Desra said it was timely to build more awareness on a rules-based order and international rule of law in Asia and Indonesia, especially since Indonesia had been actively promoting the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific -- which highlights respect for international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“This is where ASEAN-led mechanisms should come into play. The newly adopted ASEAN Indo-Pacific outlook is a response to this,” Desra told an international law conference in Jakarta last Tuesday.

In late June, ASEAN leaders adopted the document outlining their geostrategic concept of the Indo-Pacific region and emphasizing ASEAN’s centrality amid the competing major powers. The five-page document was proposed by Indonesia and intended to serve as the guideline for ASEAN in engaging its external partners, including the US and China.

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