ASEAN must maintain inclusive digital ecosystem to face global competition

ASEAN needs to maintain an inclusive digital ecosystem in facing the challenges of high global technological competition, geopolitical changes, and digital sovereignty challenges, according to Ismail, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kemkomdigi). He emphasised the importance of ASEAN’s commitment to maintaining centrality, strengthening regional solidarity, and encouraging constructive cooperation with ASEAN partners. “By working together, ASEAN can continue to ensure that digital transformation becomes a driver of stability, economic growth, innovation, and sustainable development for the ASEAN region while protecting common interests in an increasingly interconnected world,” Ismail said in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday. Discussing the global landscape, the current challenges of digital technology development are highly complex, ranging from geopolitical competition and evolving supply chains to growing concerns about cybersecurity. This is also being followed up with the presence of the ASEAN Digital Master Plan 2030, which is being worked on by member countries. According to Ismail, the first year of ADM 2030 implementation also serves as an important milestone for ASEAN digital cooperation over the next five years. He believes the document can serve as a strategic framework to help ASEAN face increasingly rapid technological developments. “This ADM 2030 will function as a guiding framework to ensure that ASEAN remains ready to face new technological developments and respond effectively to the rapidly changing digital landscape,” Ismail said.