JAIF Support for Digital Sector
Background
As one of the most populous, diverse, and competitive regions, ASEAN is set to become one of the top digital economies in the world. According to the World Economic Forum, the region’s digital economy is projected to add an estimated USD 1 trillion to the ASEAN’s gross domestic product (GDP) over the next ten years.1 The year 2021 marks two decades of ASEAN cooperation in the digital sector.2 It has been acknowledged that the sector will continue to be the key enabler for ASEAN’s integration and transformation into a single market.
Following the completion of the two ICT masterplans in 2015 and 2020 respectively. ASEAN launched the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM 2025) that envisions “ASEAN as a leading digital community and economic bloc, powered by secure and transformative digital services, technologies and ecosystem”. The ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 encapsulates the articulation of a single shared vision to deliver eight desired outcomes (DO) as shown below.
Source: ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025
Japan and ASEAN have been collaborating in the development of digital sector, including digital infrastructure, regulation, cybersecurity, capacity building, digital economy, and other relevant areas. At the First ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting with Japan (the 2nd ADGMIN+Japan Meeting) in January 2022, both parties approved the ASEAN-Japan ICT Work Plan for 2022 that will contribute to the achievement of the vision of the ADM 2025.
Areas of Support and
Key Contributions
JAIF has been supporting wide-ranged projects, including flagship projects of the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC). The establishment of AJCCBC addressed the need for human resource capacity development in the field of cybersecurity as highlighted at the 10th ASEAN-Japan Information Security Policy Meeting. In collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan and the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) of Thailand, AJCCBC has been conducting various capacity development activities since its establishment in 2018.
The followings are supported by JAIF in alignment with the two consecutives Masterplans and key contributions of completed and implemented JAIF projects to-date.
JAIF continues to extend its support to AJCCBC through the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (Step 2-2) project which is currently ongoing. In addition, Capacity Building for Government Officials/Staff to Bridge ASEAN Digital Divide in the Post-COVID19 has been recently approved to raise awareness and capacity of government officials to develop necessary policies and regulations to narrow digital divides. The project is considered as one of the programmes to commemorate the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in 2023.
1https://www.weforum.org/projects/digital-asean
2 The ASEAN Digital sector was formerly known as the ASEAN Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. The sectoral name was officially changed in October 2019.
