VIENTIANE, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The 19th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting (TELMIN) and related meetings have been held here on Thursday and Friday.
According to the joint media statement issued by ASEAN on Friday, the meeting, talking over smart connectivity for ASEAN digital transformation, has agreed to further intensify cooperation to propel ASEAN towards a digitally-enabled economy that is secure, sustainable, and transformative; and to build an innovative, inclusive and integrated ASEAN Community.
With the view, the ministers adopted the ASEAN Guidelines for Strengthening Resilience and Repair of Submarine Cables which aimed to provide guidance to relevant parties and facilitate the process for applying for the necessary permits from the various ASEAN Member States, with a view to expediting repairs of submarine cables by minimizing permit requirements and cost, and benefitting businesses and consumers in the region.
For cybersecurity, the ministers reaffirmed the importance of promoting regional cybersecurity collaborations and enhancing coordination among ASEAN member states on cybersecurity policy development and capacity building.
In this regard, the ministers welcomed the recommendations for establishing the ASEAN Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to facilitate capacity enhancement, real-time coordination and threat information sharing amongst national CERTs in ASEAN and with ASEAN Dialogue Partners. The ministers looked forward to Singapore's paper on the implementation plan for the establishment of the ASEAN CERT.
Moreover, the ministers welcomed the progress in the development of ASEAN Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) Protection Framework which promotes best-practices in CII protection with recommendations for protecting Critical information infrastructures from disruptions that have potential cross border impacts.
Also, the ministers welcomed the recommendations to establish a best-practices guide in developing sustainable e-service delivery platforms and e-government applications in ASEAN, which include greater participation by private sector, developing secure and interoperable platforms, exchanging best-practices, and adopting national e-government strategy in ASEAN member states.
Besides, the ministers welcomed the recommendations of the first ASEAN Conference on 5G which outline the key areas for regional collaboration, including 5G infrastructure, frequencies, use cases and security.
The ministers adopted the Vientiane Declaration on Smart Connectivity for ASEAN Digital Transformation to advance ASEAN's desire to strengthen digital connectivity and accessibility, so as to pave the way for a thriving digital economy and society in the region, according to the statement.
