Asean has signed its first region-wide extradition treaty, a move observers see as a long-overdue step to close legal loopholes that have long allowed fugitives to slip across borders and evade arrest.
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Analysts say the Asean Treaty on Extradition would plug a major gap in cooperation by creating uniform rules across a region struggling with cybercrime, trafficking and online scams that increasingly operate across jurisdictions.
Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations signed the treaty on the sidelines of the 13th Asean Law Ministers Meeting, which took place last week in Manila.
In a speech, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr – set to assume the chairmanship from Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in 2026 – said the treaty “reflects our collective resolve – that individuals with criminal charges will not escape justice by crossing borders in Asean”.
Marcos described the treaty signing as “a defining moment in our effort to bring to justice those who have acted against the law”.
“With this landmark treaty, we send a clear message to the world that we are united and that our legal foundation is stronger than ever,” he said.
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Earlier this year, Asean had outlined strengthened cooperation in combating transnational crime, which also covered human trafficking, cybercrime and online scams, as part of the bloc’s Political-Security Community Strategic Plan.