Subregional frameworks
Further information on subregional and bilateral agreements between ASEAN Member States related to marine spill preparedness and response
Subregional and bilateral agreements
Several sub-regional and bilateral agreements exist between ASEAN Member States. While some have been in place for many years, they are not always regularly updated and, in certain cases, their current status or level of implementation is unclear.
GI SEA seeks to support and revitalise these arrangements by strengthening cooperation among the parties and promoting international good practice, helping to ensure the agreements remain relevant, effective, and properly implemented.
Subregional agreements
Subregional agreements are those established between three or more countries within Southeast Asia.
Joint Statement on Partnership in Oil Spill Preparedness and Response in Gulf of Thailand
Represented countries in this agreement
The Joint Statement on Partnership in Oil Spill Preparedness and Response in the Gulf of Thailand was signed in January 2006 by the governments of Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam to establish a cooperative framework for oil spill preparedness and response in the Gulf of Thailand. It was developed under the facilitation of PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia) and aligns with the goals of the IMO’s OPRC 1990 Convention and related international instruments by promoting cross‑border cooperation, information exchange, capacity building, and mutual assistance to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spill incidents that may impact the subregion.
Thailand is the permanent secretariat for this agreement. Annual meetings are also scheduled, with national contact points rotating between the three countries to exchange knowledge and discuss the progress of national capacities.
Vision and mission
The agreement envisioned a sub‑regional partnership committed to enhancing national and collective capabilities in oil pollution prevention, preparedness, and response through:
Exchange of information
Joint research and development
Training and exercises
Mutual assistance arrangements
Collaboration among government agencies and relevant stakeholders
Achievements
Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam have made significant progress in national and local oil spill preparedness. Cambodia drafted its national oil spill contingency plan, Thailand updated its plan, and Vietnam expanded its industry plan while developing a plan for the southern region, where 90% of coastal provinces now have contingency plans in place.
The three countries have also strengthened capacity through regional and national trainings and workshops. These covered topics such as oil spill contingency planning, OPRC Levels 1–3, the technical use of chemical dispersants, oil spill claims and compensation, shoreline assessment and cleanup, environmental sensitivity mapping, incident management, and planning for hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) spills.
To support effective regional coordination, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam officially adopted the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Atlas for the Gulf of Thailand in 2013. In addition, they adopted the Subregional Dispersant Usage Guidelines, further enhancing their ability to respond efficiently and safely to oil spill incidents.
Looking ahead
The framework is guided by a Strategic Action Plan (SAP), which outlines eight strategic goals to steer capacity-building efforts at both national and subregional levels. The current SAP covers the period 2023–2027.
There is also interest in including Malaysia in the agreement, given that its operations in the Gulf of Thailand carry potential risks that could lead to cross-border oil spill incidents.
The Straits of Malacca and Singapore Cooperation Mechanism
Littoral states to this mechanism
The Straits of Malacca and Singapore Cooperation Mechanism is a regional framework created to protect one of the world’s most important shipping routes — the Strait of Malacca and Strait of Singapore. These straits are among the busiest maritime corridors globally, carrying a significant share of international trade and energy shipments. Because of heavy traffic, shallow waters, and environmental sensitivity, they require coordinated management.
The mechanism was launched in 2007 to improve navigational safety, prevent and respond to marine pollution, enhance environmental protection, and share the financial burden of maintaining the straits. It reflects Article 43 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which encourages cooperation between littoral States (the coastal countries bordering the straits), user States (countries whose ships transit the straits), as well as the shipping industry and other relevant stakeholders.
Three main components of the Cooperation Mechanism
The Cooperation Forum (CF) serves as a platform for dialogue between the littoral States and user States. It provides a venue to discuss project proposals, explore funding arrangements, and promote transparency in the management of safety and environmental initiatives in the straits. This is component GI SEA is involved with.
The Project Coordination Committee (PCC) oversees the implementation of specific safety and environmental projects. It manages project execution, monitors progress, and coordinates financial contributions provided in support of approved initiatives.
The Aids to Navigation Fund (ANF) consists of voluntary financial contributions from user States and industry stakeholders. The fund supports the maintenance and enhancement of critical navigational infrastructure, including buoys, beacons, traffic separation schemes, wreck removal, and hydrographic surveys.
Tripartite Technical Experts Group (TTEG)
The Tripartite Technical Experts Group (TTEG) is a body of technical specialists appointed by the three littoral States — Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore — to provide expert advice on navigational safety, environmental protection, and marine traffic management in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Its responsibilities include evaluating proposals for new projects, reviewing operational procedures, and ensuring that initiatives such as oil spill preparedness, wreck removal, and maintenance of navigational aids follow international best practices.
The TTEG supports the Cooperation Mechanism by serving as a technical advisory backbone for both the Cooperation Forum and the Project Coordination Committee. It ensures that strategic decisions and project implementations are technically sound, feasible, and coordinated among the littoral States. By bridging the gap between policy and operations, the TTEG helps enhance the safety, efficiency, and environmental protection of one of the world’s busiest and most sensitive maritime corridors.
GI SEA's involvement
GI SEA participates in the annual Cooperation Forum (CF), which rotates among the three littoral States. In this forum, GI SEA serves as a neutral technical partner, promoting international good practice in marine spill preparedness and response. It also underscores the importance of subregional collaboration among affected States to ensure effective and coordinated action in the event of marine spill incidents.
The Revolving Fund Committee
Member states in this committee
The Revolving Fund Committee (RFC) is a long‑standing cooperative mechanism established in 1981 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the three littoral States — Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore together with the Malacca Strait Council (MSC), a Japan‑based maritime safety organization. The RFC was created to combat oil pollution from ships in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) and to help ensure these critical waterways remain safe and clean, recognizing that the region’s heavy traffic increases the risk of marine pollution. The initial fund was seeded with a contribution of ¥400 million from the MSC.
Financial Mechanism
The core purpose of the RFC is to provide a financial mechanism that allows any of the three littoral States to draw a cash advance from the fund to pay for oil spill response operations immediately when an incident occurs. This is especially important for rapid mobilisation of response assets and clean‑up activities before compensation can be obtained from responsible parties. After the affected State recovers its costs from the polluter (through legal or other recovery mechanisms), the drawn amount is then repaid to the fund, allowing it to “revolve” and be available for future incidents.
Standard Operating Procedure for Joint Oil Spill Combat in the SOMS
The littoral States have established procedures for combating oil pollution under the auspices of the Revolving Fund, which are regularly reviewed through exercises to ensure preparedness and enable continuous improvement. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) shall apply to the control and mitigation of oil spill in or threatening the sea within the geographical limit if the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
- To provide early alert to Member States on any major oil spill occurring in or threatening the Straits of Malacca and Singapore
- To institute prompt measures to control any major oil spill occurring in or affecting the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
- To facilitate the most affected State to take the leading role to coordinate and integrate the actions and efforts of the three Member States and possible third Party in combating the oil spill
- To provide easy and ready references on key operational personnel, equipment and particular procedures to enable speedy movements across States.
Capacity building
The RFC also supports joint capacity building workshops and exercises among the littoral States, such as training and table‑top exercises to refine response coordination and improve rapid deployment of assets. One of its distinctive features is that the chairmanship and management of the fund rotate between the littoral States on a five‑year basis, fostering shared responsibility and mutual preparedness.
Sulu-Sulawesi Response Network and the Regional Marine Pollution Exercise
Countries involved
The Sulu–Sulawesi Response Network (SSRN), historically also referred to as the Sulawesi Seas Oil Spill Response Network Plan (1981), is a subregional oil spill preparedness and response cooperation framework established to strengthen coordination in the Sulu–Sulawesi Seas. Building on this network, the MARPOLEX (Regional Marine Pollution Exercise) serves as its operational expression, providing regular joint exercises to test communication, interoperability, and spill response capability. MARPOLEX brings together Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, enhancing practical cooperation and readiness to respond effectively to transboundary marine pollution incidents.
Regional MARPOLEX
The Regional MARPOLEX is a biennial regional oil spill response exercise conducted jointly by the coast guards and maritime authorities of Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, stemming from the 1981 Sulawesi Sea Oil Spill Response Network framework. The exercise rotates among Philippines and Indonesia and typically involves both table-top and full-scale operational components. During MARPOLEX, participants simulate major marine pollution incidents such as tanker collisions or oil spills, activating notification procedures, command and control structures, and cross-border coordination mechanisms. Assets such as patrol vessels, oil containment booms, skimmers, dispersant systems, and surveillance aircraft may be deployed to test interoperability, communication protocols, and joint decision-making. The exercise strengthens mutual assistance arrangements, enhances technical capacity, and ensures readiness to manage transboundary marine pollution incidents effectively.
GI SEA's involvement
GI SEA supports MARPOLEX as a neutral technical partner, contributing international good practice guidance and industry expertise to strengthen exercise design and learning outcomes. Through engagement with the maritime authorities of Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, GI SEA provides advisory input on incident management structures, oil spill response strategies, and subregional coordination arrangements. It may also facilitate the participation of industry technical specialists, promote alignment with international standards, and support post-exercise debriefs to capture lessons learned. In doing so, GI SEA helps enhance interoperability, reinforce preparedness frameworks, and bridge government-industry collaboration in managing transboundary marine spill incidents.
Bilateral agreements
Bilateral agreements are those established between two countries within Southeast Asia.
Standard Operating Procedure for Joint Oil Spill Combat in the South China Sea including Brunei Bay (Brunei-Malaysia)
Represented countries in this agreement
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Joint Oil Spill Combat in the South China Sea including Brunei Bay (1994/1995) is a bilateral arrangement between Malaysia and Brunei designed to strengthen cooperation in responding to marine oil spills in shared and adjacent waters, particularly the environmentally sensitive Brunei Bay area.
The SOP establishes agreed procedures for early notification, information exchange, and coordinated operational response when an oil spill threatens or affects the maritime zones of either State. It outlines roles and responsibilities, communication channels between designated authorities, and mechanisms for mutual assistance, including the potential sharing of equipment and personnel. The arrangement reflects recognition of the transboundary nature of marine pollution risks in the South China Sea region and aims to ensure timely, coordinated, and effective action to minimise environmental and economic impacts.
Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Spill Response (Philippines–Thailand)
Represented countries in this agreement
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Joint Oil Spill Response (1999) between the Philippines and Thailand establishes a bilateral framework for cooperation in marine oil spill preparedness and response. Signed in 1999 and entering into force in 2000, the MoU was developed in recognition of both countries’ obligations under the OPRC 1990 and the need for practical cooperation in managing transboundary marine pollution risks. The agreement commits both governments to provide early warning and timely exchange of information on spill incidents that may affect their maritime zones, including territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), and to take prompt and coordinated measures to control and combat oil pollution.
Operationally, the MoU provides for the designation of national competent authorities and contact points, enabling rapid communication during incidents. It encourages the development of joint or aligned Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), mutual assistance arrangements, and periodic consultations to review preparedness levels. The framework supports cooperation between key implementing agencies, particularly in areas such as equipment mobilization, technical support, training, and exercises. While not tied to a dedicated joint funding mechanism, the MoU formalizes the legal and procedural basis for bilateral collaboration and remains in force, with provisions allowing for review and updating to reflect evolving operational needs and regional practices.
Memorandum of Agreement on Cooperation in Oil Spill Preparedness and Response (Philippines-Vietnam)
Represented countries in this agreement
The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Cooperation in Oil Spill Preparedness and Response between the Vietnam and the Philippines establishes a structured bilateral framework to enhance cooperation in preventing, preparing for, and responding to marine oil pollution incidents. The MoA sets out commitments to strengthen coordination through advance notification of incidents, exchange of technical information, and mutual assistance where an oil spill may affect or threaten the marine environment of either Party. It reinforces both countries’ obligations OPRC 1990, and emphasizes respect for sovereignty, national laws, and existing domestic response systems while enabling practical cross-border collaboration.
The agreement designates competent national authorities and contact points to ensure rapid communication during incidents and provides for cooperation in contingency planning, joint exercises, training programmes, and capacity building activities to improve operational readiness. It also outlines principles governing requests for assistance, including coordination procedures, logistical arrangements, and cost recovery provisions, with costs generally borne by the requesting Party unless otherwise agreed. The MoA includes provisions on confidentiality, settlement of disputes through consultation, and mechanisms for amendment or termination, thereby providing both an operational and legal framework for sustained bilateral preparedness cooperation.
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