Endorsed
ASEAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY MINISTERS MEETING (TELMIN)
FRAMEWORK ON DIGITAL DATA GOVERNANCE
Background and Overview
1.
ASEAN as a regional group has been experiencing sustained economic growth.
With the right elements in place such as good and robust infrastructure, sound
and progressive policies and governance frameworks, ASEAN’s potential for
growth is tremendous. To achieve this growth, it would be critical to boost
economic integration and technology adoption across all sectors in the ten
ASEAN Member States1 (referred to collectively as “ASEAN Member States” or
individually as “ASEAN Member State”).
2.
Globally, there have been significant efforts to harmonise data standards, data
governance or data protection frameworks, such as the OECD Guidelines on
the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data, APEC
Privacy Framework, EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) and
Standards for Personal Data Protection for Ibero-American States. To keep
pace, ASEAN needs to develop forward-looking and enabling frameworks and
policies that facilitate the growth of the digital economy. There is also a need to
strengthen the governance of digital data in ASEAN with a view to promoting
the growth of trade and flow of data within and among ASEAN Member States
in the digital economy. Progress on digital data management issues also vary
considerably across ASEAN and there is significant opportunity to improve
transparency on requirements and identify areas to enhance performance.2
3.
In this respect, the Heads of State of ASEAN Member States have jointly
reaffirmed the importance of maintaining ASEAN centrality and unity in its
community-building efforts, and have agreed on key deliverables for ASEAN
such as Cybersecurity cooperation and personal data protection, and promoting
innovation and e-commerce.3 The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025
has also identified the development of an ASEAN Framework on Digital Data
Governance (referred to as the “Framework”) as an initiative that is intended to
enhance data management, facilitate harmonisation of data regulations among
ASEAN Member States4 and promote intra-ASEAN flows of data. This helps to
ensure that ASEAN, collectively, realises the potential benefits, even with the
recognition that the ten ASEAN Member States are currently at different levels
of maturity.
1
The term ASEAN Member States refers to Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of
Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic
of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
2 Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 Project Concept – Concept Note Initiative 7 – Establish an ASEAN
Digital Data Governance Framework, 15 August 2017.
3 Chairman’s Statement of the 32nd ASEAN Summit, Singapore, 28 April 2018.
4 Building on the ASEAN Framework on Personal Data Protection adopted in 2016.
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