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

Senior Fellow & Founding Executive Director

Dr Ming Tan is Senior Fellow at the Tech for Good Institute; where she served as founding Executive Director of the non-profit focused on research and policy at the intersection of technology, society and the economy in Southeast Asia. She is concurrently a Senior Fellow at and 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. Ming was previously Managing Director of IPOS International, part of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. Prior to joining the public sector, she was Head of Stewardship of the COMO Group.


Ming also serves on the boards of several private companies, Singapore’s National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, 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. Her current portfolio spans philanthropy, social impact, sustainability and innovation.