10th ASEAN Economic Community: Unpacking the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA)

The ASEAN Secretariat is convening the 10th ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Dialogue which focuses on unpacking the Digital Economic Framework Agreement (DEFA). The dialogue is held with the support of the Australia for ASEAN Futures – Economic and Connectivity (Aus4ASEAN Futures (ECON)) and with the Tech for Good Institute as the knowledge partner.

With a population of over 650 million and a combined GDP of over USD 3 trillion, ASEAN is a significant player in the global digital economy landscape. The development of ASEAN DEFA is aimed at creating a sustainable and inclusive digital economy ecosystem underpinned by enabling rules, regulations, infrastructure, and talent in ASEAN. 

About the event: 

The 10th AEC Dialogue will disseminate the key findings and recommendations of the Final Report: Study on the ASEAN DEFA and follow from a panel session to discuss some of the issues recommended at the DEFA study. The exercise will be useful to understand the priorities and on-going challenges faced by key stakeholders in ASEAN and explore concrete measures to further enhance regional cooperation on harnessing the digital economy in the region particularly in the context of the DEFA negotiations.

The dialogue aims to develop a recommendation paper consisting of the aspirations of the business communities and partners on the nine recommended core provisions and DEFA negotiations. The paper will be submitted to the ASEAN DEFA Negotiating Committee for its consideration and published for the public’s information.

The dialogue will be held on Thursday, 30 November 2023, from 09:00 – 12:00 (GMT+7)

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Mouna Aouri

Programme Fellow

Mouna Aouri is an Institute Fellow at the Tech For Good Institute. As a social entrepreneur, impact investor, and engineer, her experience spans over two decades in the MENA region, South East Asia, and Japan. She is founder of Woomentum, a Singapore-based platform dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs in APAC through skill development and access to growth capital through strategic collaborations with corporate entities, investors and government partners.

Dr Ming Tan

Founding Executive Director

Dr Ming Tan is founding Executive Director for the Tech for Good Institute, a non-profit founded to catalyse research and collaboration on social, economic and policy trends accelerated by the digital economy in Southeast Asia. She is concurrently a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore and Advisor to the Founder of the COMO Group, a Singaporean portfolio of lifestyle companies operating in 15 countries worldwide.  Her research interests lie at the intersection of technology, business and society, including sustainability and innovation.

 

Ming was previously Managing Director of IPOS International, part of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, which supports Singapore’s future growth as a global innovation hub for intellectual property creation, commercialisation and management. Prior to joining the public sector, she was Head of Stewardship of the COMO Group and the founding Executive Director of COMO Foundation, a grantmaker focused on gender equity that has served over 47 million women and girls since 2003.

 

As a company director, she lends brand and strategic guidance to several companies within the COMO Group. Ming also serves as a Council Member of the Council for Board Diversity, on the boards of COMO Foundation and Singapore Network Information Centre (SGNIC), and on the Digital and Technology Advisory Panel for Esplanade–Theatres on the Bay, Singapore’s national performing arts centre.

 

In the non-profit, educational and government spheres, Ming is a director of COMO Foundation and Singapore Network Information Centre (SGNIC) and chairs the Asia Advisory board for Swiss hospitality business and management school EHL. She also serves on  the Council for Board Diversity and the Digital and Technology Advisory Panel for Esplanade–Theatres on the Bay, Singapore’s national performing arts centre.

 

Ming was educated in Singapore, the United States, and England. She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University and her doctorate from Oxford.