• Established in 2006
• Meets annually
• Last Meeting: 6^th ADMM, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 29 May 2012

The ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) is the highest defence mechanism within ASEAN. The annual ADMM facilitates the ASEAN defence ministers to discuss and exchange views on current defence and security issues and challenges faced in the region. The ADMM aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defence and security challenges as well as enhancement of transparency and openness.

To guide the ADMM cooperation, the Three-Year ADMM Work Programme (2008-2010) was adopted at the 2nd ADMM in Singapore in 2007. The Work Programme (2008-2010) included measures and activities in five areas, namely 1) promoting regional defence and security cooperation; 2) shaping and sharing of norms; 3) conflict prevention; 4) conflict resolution; 5) post-conflict peace building.

With the completion of the first term in 2010, the 5th ADMM adopted the new ADMM Three-Year Work Programme (2011-2013), which focuses on measures and activities in four areas, namely 1) strengthening regional defence and security cooperation; 2) enhancing existing practical cooperation and developing possible cooperation in defence and security; 3) promoting enhanced ties with Dialogue Partners; 4) shaping and sharing of norms.

Cooperation in the ASEAN defence sector has grown steadily since its inception in 2006. In particular, cooperation in the issue of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief has been progressing significantly in the ADMM. The ASEAN Defence Ministers have adopted concept papers to advance the cooperation in this area, namely the Concept Paper on the Use of ASEAN Military Assets and Capacities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and the Concept Paper on Defence Establishments and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Cooperation on Non-Traditional Security.

The ADMM has conducted a Table-Top Exercise in HADR under the framework of the Third Workshop of the ASEAN Defence Establishments and CSOs Cooperation in Non-Traditional Security, hosted by Thailand in 2011In the effort to strengthen regional defence and security cooperation, the 5th ADMM adopted the Concept Paper on the Establishment of ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration (ADIC) and the Concept Paper on the Establishment of ASEAN Peacekeeping Centres Network.

The ADMM continues to exchange views on addressing non-traditional security challenges and discusses the need to strengthen and take more practical steps in defence cooperation in order to make further contribution to regional peace and stability. The ADMM also reiterated its commitment to increase interactions at all levels and build a strong foundation to support the establishment of the ASEAN Community as indicated in the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint.

The 7th ADMM will be convened in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, in May 2013.

ADMM-Plus

• Established in 2010
• Meets biennially
• Last Meeting: Inaugural ADMM-Plus, Ha Noi, Viet Nam, 12 October 2010

Consistent with the ADMM guiding principles of open and outward looking, the 2nd ADMM in Singapore in 2007 adopted the ADMM-Plus Concept Paper.The ADMM-Plus process is a tool to engage ASEAN Dialogue Partners in dialogue and cooperation on defence and security matters. In preparing for the establishment of an ADMM-Plus, the Concept Paper on ADMM-Plus Principles for Membership was adopted by the 3rd ADMM in Pattaya in 2009; followed by the Concept Paper on ADMM-Plus: Configuration and Composition and the Concept Paper on ADMM-Plus: Modalities and Procedures, which were adopted by the 4th ADMM in Ha Noi in 2010.

The Inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on 12 October 2010. At the Inaugural ADMM-Plus, the Defence Ministers agreed on five areas of practical cooperation to pursue under this new mechanism. These areas are maritime security, counter-terrorism, disaster management, peacekeeping operations and military medicine. To facilitate cooperation on these areas, five Experts' Working Groups (EWGs) are established.  Practical cooperation is now moving apace on the five priority areas.

As the ADMM-Plus cooperation is progressing significantly, the ASEAN Defence Ministers agreed to increase the frequency of the ADMM-Plus to once every two years. The biennial meeting of the ADMM-Plus will afford the Defence Ministers the opportunity to review the progress of ADMM-Plus cooperative activities more regularly and enable more in-depth high-level dialogue to address current and emerging security challenges of mutual concern. The 6th ADMM in Phnom Penh on 29 May 2012 adopted the Concept Paper on Review of Frequency of ADMM-Plus Meetings.

The ADMM-Plus countries have also agreed to hold the first ever ADMM-Plus HADR/Military Medicine Exercise in Brunei Darussalam from 16-20 June 2013 to be held back-to-back with the 2ndASEAN Militaries HADR Exercise (AHX).

The 2^nd ADMM-Plus will be convened in Brunei Darussalam in October 2013.