ASEAN Reaffirms the Importance of a Secure, Inclusive Digital Future at the 5th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting

From January 16 to 17, the Thailand Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) hosted the 5^th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN) to address challenges related to cybersecurity, data governance, emerging technology, and digital inequality. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and MDES Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong, with Vietnam Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung serving as Vice Chair. The 5^th ADGMIN concluded with the adoption of the Bangkok Digital Declaration, recognizing the endorsement of new guidelines, including the Expanded ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics – Generative AI, ASEAN Guide on Data Anonymization, and Joint Mapping Guide to ASEAN Model Contractual Clauses (MCCs) and Ibero-American Data Protection Network (RIPD) MCCs. As ASEAN’s digital economy remains on track to reach US$1 trillion by 2030, notable optimism permeated discussions on how to responsibly adopt key technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) while mitigating online scams and other risks. 

The ASEAN Digital Ministers reiterated the importance of advancing digital transformation, paving the way for the development of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2030 (ADM2030), the ASEAN Recommendations on Anti-Online Scam, and updated ASEAN Guidelines for Strengthening the Resilience and Repair of Submarine Cables (2019). As part of its ASEAN Chairmanship priorities, Malaysia announced five digital economy-focused projects, including the establishment of an ASEAN AI Safety Network (AI SAFE), ASEAN Guide on Sustainable Data Center Development, Cross-Border Cloud Computing Framework, and ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy (2026-2030), and 5G workforce training programs. Officials also highlighted continued support of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) negotiations.