Accelerating the region’s digital transformation and transforming.
The 2nd ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN) underscored the pivotal role of digital technologies in the fight against and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to further intensify cooperation to accelerate the region’s digital transformation efforts to support the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and its Implementation Plan.
The Meeting welcomed the progress made in the first year of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM2025), which laid a strong foundation in accelerating the region’s digital transformation and transforming ASEAN into a leading digital community and economic bloc, powered by secure and transformative digital services, technologies, and ecosystem.
During the meeting the group launched the organisation of the Capacity Building Programmes on the ASEAN Data Management Framework and ASEAN Model Contractual Clauses for Cross Border Data Flows in collaboration with industry partners.
The Programmes facilitated the understanding of the importance of data management and cross border data flows to boost businesses’ ability to seize opportunities in the digital economy where data protection is an essential requirement. It also enhanced capabilities of ASEAN Member States to promote awareness and adoption of the Frameworks in the respective industry.
The ASEAN members reiterated the importance of enhancing cybersecurity cooperation to secure ASEAN’s future economy and digitisation initiatives, especially in view of the recent rise in global cybersecurity and supply chain attacks and threats. They also welcomed the development of ASEAN CERT and its core component, the CERT-to-CERT information exchange mechanism to strengthen the region’s cybersecurity incident response and preparedness.
The ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy 2021-2025 was also launched as an update to the previous Strategy. The updated Strategy is in response to newer cyber developments since 2017, and builds on the previous Strategy to ensure that there are no weak links in the collective efforts to secure the cyberspace for the region’s digital economy and community to grow.
The Meeting welcomed the outcome of the study on the application of blockchain technology to digital government as a starting point for future work in creating distributed trustworthy services for government to business, government to government, as well as business to business digital services. It also reflects the vision of ADM2025 and commitment toward digital development in the region.
The Meeting noted the development of ASEAN Strategic Guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application and Workforce Development which involves the establishment of policies and regulations to create an innovative, responsible, and secure AI ecosystem, especially in the areas of AI ethics, literacy, talents, as well as personal data protection and government incentives.
And it welcomed the ASEAN Guidelines on 5G Ecosystem Development to ensure successful roll outs of 5G services throughout ASEAN which create benefits to the economy and society by providing an enabling infrastructure for innovative solutions and business models that make use of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, AI, big data, and real time data analytics.
The group welcomed the Framework Proposal for the Mutual Recognition of Digital Signatures in ASEAN which promotes the digital transformation, e-commerce development and cross-border e-transactions in ASEAN by providing mechanism for trusting digital signatures and applying international technical standards which enable digital signature with trust among ASEAN countries
The Meeting appreciated the ongoing work to promote affordable international mobile roaming services in the region by advancing the ASEAN Framework on International Mobile Roaming, which was adopted at the 17th ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers’ Meeting (TELMIN) on 1 December 2017 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The group took note of the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration on Digital Transformation – the Engine for ASEAN Economic Recovery from COVID-19 to help mitigate the economic and social impacts felt by the COVID-19 pandemic in the region, to ensure that necessary digital resources are available to support ASEAN Member State’s efforts to recover quickly from the pandemic, and to make sure that ASEAN Member States have access to best practices and strategies to prioritize their domestic measures to stimulate better use of digital services for COVID-19 mitigation and recovery efforts.
DIGITAL COOPERATION WITH DIALOGUE AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
The digital members looked forward to further deepening the cooperation with Dialogue and Development Partners in enhancing digital cooperation, developing human resources, exploring emerging technologies for adoption, and improving the capacity to address cybersecurity risks in the implementation of the ADM2025.
The Meeting expressed their appreciation to China for the joint activities in digital economy development, digital technology innovation, and 5G infrastructure security technical training conducted in 2021 and looked forward to further collaboration under the Action Plan on Implementing the ASEAN-China Partnership on Digital Economy Cooperation (2021-2025), which was adopted by the Meeting. The Meeting looked forward to exchanging information and cooperating in digital economy development and regulatory policies, emerging technologies, digital technology innovation, digital security, and capacity building, as well as cooperating at multilateral platforms in 2022.
India was acknowledged for the progress made in the commissioning of Centres of Excellence in Software Development and Training (CESDT) in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and similar ongoing activities in Viet Nam in addition to its assistance to the ICT human resource development through various knowledge sharing and capacity building programmes at reputable training centres in India. The Meeting approved the 2022 ASEAN-India Digital Work Plan which supports the ADM2025 initiatives including System for combating the use of stolen and counterfeit mobile handsets, WiFi Access network interface for nationwide public internet capacity building and knowledge sharing in the areas of Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G, ICT in Disaster Management, Future Trends in Mobile Communication, Advanced Satellite Communication, Telecom Security Management, Role of ICT in implementation of Digital Health, Security protection and assessment for future network, Cyber Forensics, fostering Broadband access and connectivity and Regulatory and Policy issues.
The Meeting reiterated ASEAN’s commitment to pursue policy and regulatory dialogue with both Dialogue and Development Partners. The Meeting also called for greater participation from the private sector to jointly develop quality digital infrastructure and services to support the growth of digitally enabled innovative solutions to achieve an inclusive and sustainable growth in the region and support the goals of the ASEAN Community.
Tags: ASEANdigital ministers
