Report by: Jeffrey Ordaniel & Jay Tristan Tarriela

To help advance the region’s shared interests in a free, open, secure, and rules-based maritime order, The Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea was convened on November 6-8, 2024. The dialogue gathered some of the most influential foreign policy experts, thought leaders, and academics from throughout Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific. Delegates debated issues, pitched innovative ideas, and offered recommendations to ensure that the rule of law, not coercion and the use of force, prevails in resolving disputes, thus, safeguarding regional peace and stability. In pursuit of the dialogue’s goals, seven panel sessions and two working lunch roundtables were convened:

1: The Coast Guard as Guardians of the Rule of Law at Sea
1.5. Beyond the Superpower – Regional Approaches to Maritime Security Burden Sharing: A Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Special Working Lunch Roundtable (By Invitation Only/Chatham House Rule)
2: Advancing the Rule of Law in the South China Sea – Perspectives from Claimant States 3: Rule of Law in the South China Sea: Should the World Care?
4: Understanding Recent Threats to the Rule of Law in the South China Sea, 2023-2024
5: Peace and Stability in the South China Sea – the Stakes of the International Community
5.5. Working Lunch: Exposing Bad Behavior at Sea – Transparency and Countering Malign Influence Operations
6: Partnerships for A More Rules-based South China Sea – Roles of External Partners
7: Key Takeaways, Policy Recommendations and Next Steps

[PDF] Outcome Document from The Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea 2024