FINAL
ASEAN-UNITED STATES LEADERS’ STATEMENT ON CYBERSECURITY
COOPERATION
WE, the Heads of State / Government of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and the United States of America, gathered in Singapore on 15 November 2018
on the occasion of the 6th ASEAN-U.S. Summit;
Sharing the vision of a peaceful, secure and resilient regional cyberspace that serves as an enabler
of economic progress, enhanced regional connectivity and betterment of living standards for all;
Cognisant of the pervasiveness of cyber threats that has long been considered an international
problem, and of the urgency and increasing sophistication of the ever-evolving and transboundary
cyber threats facing our region amidst widespread economic digitalisation and the proliferation of
Internet-connected devices across ASEAN;
Reaffirming our shared commitments to promote security and stability in cyberspace consistent
with norms of responsible State behaviour;
Recalling the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Cybersecurity Cooperation, which underscored the
importance of closer cybersecurity cooperation among ASEAN Member States, stronger
coordination of regional cybersecurity policy development and capacity building initiatives,
including through the ASEAN Cyber Capacity Programme and the ASEAN Ministerial
Conference on Cybersecurity (AMCC) and strengthening ASEAN discussions on cybersecurity at
the Ministerial and Senior Officials levels;
Welcoming the adoption of the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy in enhancing
collaboration to address cybersecurity challenges, as well as the work by the ASEAN
Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting (TELMIN), ASEAN
Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and
the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), as well as the ASEAN Ministerial
Conference on Cybersecurity (AMCC);
Recognising the importance of the ASEAN Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Master Plan (AIM) 2020 as part of the effort to propel ASEAN toward a digitally-enabled economy
that enables an innovative, inclusive and integrated ASEAN Community;
Welcoming the establishment of the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on the Security of and in the
Use of ICTs (ARF ISM on ICTs Security) to facilitate cooperation among ARF members in
addressing cybersecurity issues, including strengthened practical cooperation on risk reduction and
confidence-building measures, in accordance with the ARF Work Plan on Security of and in the
Use of ICTs, and assessments of basic and common regional needs, especially in capacity building;
Welcoming the establishment of the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Cyber Security,
which aims to promote practical and effective cooperation among the ASEAN Member States and
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