This year’s ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting focused on the importance of collaborative efforts towards achieving "sustainable digital development” in Southeast Asia.
ADGMIN 2023 was hosted by the Philippines. Held in Boracay Island from Feb. 9 until Feb. 10, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy led and chaired the meeting which was attended by ASEAN Member States.
Aside from collaborative strategies that ASEAN nations may implement in order to achieve digitalization, DICT said the meeting also focused on highlighting the relevance of ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 which serves as a “strong foundation” in accelerating digital transformation in Southeast Asia.
“ served as a venue to exchange knowledge and best practices among ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners in ICT ecosystem development, developing human resources, emerging technologies, and improving regional capacity in securing the cyberspace,” said DICT on Sunday, Feb. 12.
In a joint statement, ASEAN Member States said the meeting also “encouraged members to cooperate and a people-centered, safe, and secure approach on digital transformation.”
Among other key points discussed during the meeting are the following: intensification of cooperation among member states to accelerate the region’s digital transformation; ensuring that members states have access to best practices in order to create better services for Covid-19 mitigation; welcoming the use of emerging technologies such as Blockchain Technology and Artificial Intelligence towards innovative, responsible, and safe ecosystem; as well as the implementation of enhanced cybersecurity measures consistent with the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy.
The fourth ADGMIN and Related Meetings will be held in Singapore next year.