UNOFFICIAL TEXT · CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW · www.cil.nus.edu.sg
1971 ZONE OF PEACE, FREEDOM AND NEUTRALI TY
DECLARATION
Adopted by the Foreign Ministers at the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 27 Nov ember 1971
[
https://www.aseansec.org/ 1215.htm ]

We, the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and the
Special Envoy of the National Executive Council of Thailand:
FIRMLY believing the merits of regional cooperation which has drawn our countries
to cooperate tog ether in the economic, social and cultural fields in the Association of
South East Asian Nations;
DESIROUS of bringing about a relaxation of international tension and of achieving a
lasting peace in South East Asian Nations;
INSPIRED by the worthy aims and objectives of the United Nations, in particular by
the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,
abstention from threat or use of force, peaceful settlement of international disputes,
equal rights and self -determ ination and non -interference in affairs of States;
BELIEVING in the continuing validity of the “Declaration on the Promotion of World
Peace and Cooperation” of the Bandung Conference of 1955 which, among others,
enunciates the principles by which states may coexist peacefully;
RECOGNISING the right of every state, large or small, to lead its national existence
free from outside interference in its internal affairs as this interference will adversely
affect is freedom, independence and integrity;
DEDICATED to the maintenance of peace, freedom and independence unimpaired;
BELIEVING in the need to meet present challenges and new developments by
cooperating with all peace and freedom loving nations, both within and outside the
region, in the furtherance of wor ld peace, stability and harmony;
COGNIZANT of the significant trend towards establishing nuclear -free zones, as in
the “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America” and the Lusaka
Declaration proclaiming Africa as a nuclear -free zone, f or the purpose of promoting
world peace and security by reducing the areas of international conflicts and tension;
REITERATING our commitment to the principle in the Bangkok Declaration which
established ASEAN in 1967, “that the countries of South East As ia share a primary
responsibility for strengthening the economic and social stability of the region and
ensuring their peaceful and progressive national development, and that they are
determined to ensure stability and security from external interference i n any form or
manifestation in order to preserve their national identities in accordance with the
ideals and aspirations of their peoples”;
AGREEING that the neutralization of South East Asia is a desirable objective and
that we should explore ways and means of bringing about its realization; and

1971 ZONE OF PEACE, FREEDOM AND NEUTRALITY DECLARATION
UNOFFICIAL TEXT · CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW · www.cil.nus.edu.sg Page 2 of 2
CONVINCED that the time is propitious for joint action to give effective expression to
the deeply felt desire of the peoples of South East Asia to ensure the conditions of
peace and stability indispensable to their independence and their economic and
social well -being;

DO HEREBY STATE :
1. That Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are
determined to exert initially necessary efforts to secure the recognition of, and
respect for, South East Asia as a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality,
free from any form or manner of interference by outside Powers;
2. That South East Asian countries should make concerted efforts to broaden
the areas of cooperation which would contribute to their strength, solidarity
and closer relationship.

DONE at Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, the 27th of November 1971.
On behalf of the Republic of Indonesia: ADAM MALIK, Minister for Foreign
Affairs
On behalf of Malaysia: TUN ABDUL RAZAK BIN HUSSEIN, Prime Minister
and Mi nister for Foreign Affairs
On behalf of the Republic of the Philippines: CARLOS P. ROMULO ,
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
On behalf of the Republic of Singapore: S. RAJARATNAM, Minister for
Foreign Affairs
On behalf of the Kingdom of Thailand: THANAT KHOMAN, Special Envoy of
the National Executive Council