Jakarta. Indonesia's Naval Command and Staff College, or Seskoal, participated in a security conference in Manila on Aug. 16-17 to discuss expanding security cooperation and maritime resilience in Southeast Asia.

National and international academics and practitioners took part in five panel discussions during the conference with the theme, "Resilience in the Age of Global Security," organized by the National Defense College of the Philippines.

Seskoal chief Rear Adm. Amarulla Octavian  presented a talk titled "Developing Asean Maritime Resilience" during the fifth panel discussion, in which Vice Adm. Robert A. Empedrad, flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy, also participated.

The dynamics of the Indo-Asia-Pacific strategic environment and advanced technology have changed the characteristics of maritime threats, Amarulla said in a statement.

In line with the Asean Political Security Community Blue Print and Action Program, the security cooperation concept espoused by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been elevated from cooperative security to common security, Amarulla said.

More integrated security cooperation would mean Asean member states could develop stronger maritime resilience, based on regional interests, he said.

Amarulla's presentation on structured and systematic stages of maritime resilience development was the result of strategic research by Seskoal's Center for Maritime Studies.

The first day saw three panel discussions focusing on human security, while two panel discussions addressed state security on the second day.

Philippine Defense Minister Delfin N. Lorenzana official opened the conference, when he also delivered the keynote address.

Around 200 people participated in the conference, along with senators, ambassadors, national security officials, high-ranking officers of the country's military, coast guard and national police, and representatives of various international and national institutions, including top Philippine universities.

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