ASEAN and EU work together towards establishing an ASEAN Digital Index

A series of 11 workshops are taking place virtually in the context of establishing an ASEAN Digital Index (ADIX). This series of workshops, carried out in the framework of the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI), will monitor digital progress and collect and disseminate reliable harmonised data in the region. ASEAN digital policymakers, academia, the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) and national statistics personnel will be in attendance, with presentations conducted by experts from E-READI, EU Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) as well as European research organisations.

Over the past few years, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has played a critical role in supporting ASEAN regional integration and connectivity efforts, and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a challenge that became a driving force for ASEAN Member States (AMS) to call more attention to and act more quickly on digitalisation. Establishing a regionally accepted digital index such as ADIX would greatly improve the expediency of digital progress.

To build a foundation for creating ADIX, the workshop series will enhance the knowledge of attending ASEAN digital decision makers. Topics range from technical statistical workshops such as methods of data visualisation and comparative studies of national data, to a macro level of understanding such as the interconnectedness of the digital economy and EU e-commerce regulation on a policy level. The series of workshops will be hosted by the E-READI experts and thoroughly cover these subjects, which were selected by AMS as a result of a Gap analysis.

The expected result of the workshops is enhanced knowledge and skills of ASEAN Member States’ representatives regarding the key areas in developing and using the ADIX, anticipating its future adoption by policy makers and regulators. In addition, this would lead to further considerations for any future capacity-building activities, which can be available through the bilateral cooperation between ASEAN and EU Member States. Further information regarding the results of the workshops will be disseminated as a follow-up press release at the conclusion of the series.

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The ASEAN Member States are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. On 31 December 2015, the ASEAN Community was formally established. The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta.

The European Union (EU) is the economic and political union of 27 Member States. Together, the European Union has built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedom. In 2012, the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the goals of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The European Union is the world's largest trading bloc, and the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the European Union and its member countries are the largest donors of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally.

The 27 Member States of the European Union (in alphabetical order) are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI) is a development cooperation programme that facilitates cooperation and dialogue between the EU and ASEAN in policy areas of joint interest. Drawing on the EU’s experience of regional integration, E-READI further strengthens both the ASEAN regional integration process as well as the overall ASEAN-EU strategic partnership.