Will the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila issue a formal statement on the South China Sea that reaffirms UNCLOS as the basis for resolving maritime disputes, according to the ASEAN Secretariat official communiqué published by November 15, 2026?

Resolves YES if the ASEAN Secretariat publishes a formal communiqué from the 49th ASEAN Summit by November 15, 2026 that explicitly reaffirms UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) as the framework for resolving South China Sea disputes. Source: ASEAN Secretariat official summit documents