Past Events

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)