Advisory from the Government
The Boracay Island Digital Declaration 2023
The Third ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (hereinafter referred to as “ADGMIN”) was convened on 9-10 February 2023:
REAFFIRMING the aims and purposes of ASEAN as enshrined in the Bangkok declaration of 8 August 1976, in particular, to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnerships in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations;
GUIDED by the importance of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 to guide the region’s digital cooperation from 2021 to 2025 to transform ASEAN into a leading digitally connected community and economic bloc powered by secure and transformative digital services, digital technologies and ecosystem;
FURTHER GUIDED by the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 27th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in November 2015, which aims to achieve the vision of an ASEAN Economic Community that is highly integrated and cohesive; competitive, innovative, and dynamic; with enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation; and a more resilient, inclusive, people-oriented, and people-centered ASEAN as a strong part of the global economy;
FURTHER GUIDED by the ASEAN Leaders’ commitment at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and Related Summits held on 11 November 2022 to carry out the development of an ASEAN Connectivity Post-2025 Agenda with a whole-of-Community approach in a comprehensive, pragmatic, participatory, inclusive, responsive, coherent and coordinated manner, towards synergising and complementing connectivity efforts across sectors;
RECOGNIZING the need to help the region recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19, to build a resilient foundation for the region’s growing digital , to ensure that necessary digital resources are available to support ASEAN Members States’ effort 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 technologies and services for COVID-19 mitigation and recovery efforts;
BUILDING on the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration adopted at the 2nd ADGMIN on 28 January 2022, which aims to enable policy frameworks and systems that will advance sustainable competitive markets for digital services in the region and expand the quality and coverage of broadband networks in ASEAN;
DESIRING to strengthen digital connectivity and accessibility to pave the way for a digitally-enabled society.
Hereby agreed to:
Recognise the importance of a digitally inclusive society in ASEAN in designing relevant digital solutions and unlocking the full benefits of digital transformation to improve the productivity and the lives of the people and eventually boost the ASEAN economic growth.
Strengthen the connection and cooperation between the ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners, not only through infrastructure development, but also through interpersonal interaction in narrowing the digital divide, technical assistance and capacity building, accelerating digital transformation, and in the spirit of sharing a common vision and identity.
Encourage ASEAN Member States to cooperate and implement, through a people-centered approach, the actions and measures outlined in the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025, the Bandar Seri Begawan Roadmap on digital transformation, and Part 1 of the ASEAN-EU Joint Guide on Model Contractual Clauses for Data Transfers to be able to adapt to the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in a more sustainable and responsive way.
Ensure a sustainable digital transformation that is people-centered, safe, secure and relevant to the needs of end users and various stakeholders aims at increasing the quality and use of e-government services and solutions that can connect businesses, and supporting innovation for new business models to facilitate cross-border trade and affordable access.
Undertake innovative and sustainable programs through knowledge sharing of best practices to address the need for better broadband and internet services, especially in rural areas to foster countryside development.
