by Irene Wijaya | Mar 21, 2022 | Cross Cutting Issues, Projects
Status: Ongoing. The ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and its Implementation Plan were endorsed at the 28th ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting on 10 November 2020, and, subsequently, adopted by ASEAN Leaders at the 37th ASEAN Summit on 12 November 2020. The ACRF serves as ASEAN’s community-wide exit strategy from the COVID-19. It recognises the multifaceted impact of the pandemic, and the need to work together through the phases of recovery; from reopening, rebuilding and to long-term resilience. The ASEAN Secretariat will provide the necessary support to regularly monitor the progress of ACRF implementation of the identified initiatives and programmes against their corresponding outputs and deliverables. In addition, the ASEAN Secretariat will also support the updating of the Implementation Plan. The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of ASEAN COVID-19 recovery is crucial to assess the effectiveness of the ACRF and its implementation plan, and will be undertaken by the ASEAN Secretariat, with possible external support. This project will support the ACRF monitoring and implementation, specifically through the establishment of an ACRF Support Unit, and the development and initial operationalisation of the ACRF Support Unit. It will support various activities to be undertaken by the Unit, including advocacy and awareness building activities, and analytical work to promote implementation of the ACRF. A series of infographics have been prepared through this project in the first quarter of 2022 to increase general awareness of the ACRF. View the infographics...
by Irene Wijaya | Mar 8, 2022 | Cross Cutting Issues, Projects
Status: Completed. ASEAN recognizes the potential of e-commerce, as well as its importance in serving as a catalyst for economic recovery in light of the covid-19 pandemic. To reflect its importance, several initiatives in the area of e-commerce, including an ASEAN trust mark for e-commerce platforms, were included in the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF), which was adopted by ASEAN Leaders during the 37th Summit in 12-15 November 2020. The ASEAN Trust Mark Scheme for E-Commerce is essential to supporting the ASEAN governments to align their respective legislation on e-commerce with best practices to address the issues relating to legal compliance, data handling, consumer protection, and anti-counterfeiting. The ultimate goal of the project is to promote a trusted e-commerce environment across ASEAN by eliminating bad or unfair trade practices while strengthening protection for online commerce consumers. The project is expected to enable ASEAN in advancing the establishment of regional trust mark scheme by providing tailored practical recommendations on a comprehensive trust mark mechanism. The key objective of the Study is to assess the costs and benefits of implementing a potential ASEAN Trust Mark Scheme for E-Commerce (“Scheme”), provide an understanding of the existing national trust mark mechanisms within ASEAN, as well as provide policy options for the introduction of the Scheme for ASEAN Member States’ (AMS)...
by Irene Wijaya | Jun 30, 2021 | Cross Cutting Issues, Projects
Status: Completed. ASEAN Digital Master Plan 2025, recently adopted at the First ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting (ADGMIN) in January 2021, placed a high priority on the development of a framework that encourage the development and growth of digital start-ups in ASEAN to support the increased capacity for business and people to participate in the digital economy. The project will identify and verify the key factors that affect the growth of digital startups in ASEAN and, based on the findings, develop a policy framework to promote digital startups. It is envisaged that once the framework is established and adopted, relevant ministries in the ASEAN Member States (AMS) will make best practice-based policies that will nurture/foster startup ecosystems, particularly in promoting growth of digital startups in their respective...
by Irene Wijaya | Feb 16, 2021 | Cross Cutting Issues, Projects
Status: Completed. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of all forms of e-commerce in ASEAN. This has increased demand for governments to put in place better policies and infrastructure for e-commerce not only to boost trade and increase consumer’s confidence but also to ensure participation of those most impacted by the coronavirus. The ratification of the ASEAN Agreement on Electronic Commerce would give ASEAN a fresh momentum to support e-commerce businesses in the region. The effective implementation of the agreement would demonstrate ASEAN’s collective efforts in establishing a common fundamental foundation to accelerate intra-regional economic integration towards a regional digital economy. To promote implementation of the agreement, this project prepared a Work Plan on the Implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Electronic Commerce 2021 – 2025. The Work Plan focuses on identifying priority areas, both technical and policy strengthening, for promoting implementation of the Agreement and ensuring development of e-commerce in the region....
by Irene Wijaya | Feb 16, 2021 | Cross Cutting Issues, Projects
Status: Completed. Past-oriented approaches based on historical models and trends are simply inadequate to respond to the complexity and volatility of today’s development. ASEAN leaders, particularly those in charge of managing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), need to have the capacity to use a futures approach for strategic planning and risk assessment, to help inform and support decision-making in the management of STI, making sure that STI policies are applicable in times of uncertainties and unforeseen disruptions. This project will use the current experience of the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate the usefulness of futures thinking and tools in handling unforeseen disruptions from the angle of STI. It will support a series of online workshops and the drafting of a report on megatrends, scenarios and possible collaborative actions to build STI resilience in the future across the ASEAN region. It will also produce draft research papers based on the exercise. This project is implemented through collaboration between ASEAN and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) of...
by Irene Wijaya | Sep 16, 2020 | Cross Cutting Issues, Projects
Status : Completed. Driven by technological advances, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has brought about unprecedented, rapid, transformative, and irreversible changes to the way we produce, work, and interact. A new chapter in human development, the phenomenon merges physical, digital, and biological worlds in ways that create both huge opportunities and challenges, and requires a paradigm shift in policy responses, governance, and regulations. The magnitude of such shift was not as visible in 2015 when the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 was finalised. Notwithstanding highest political recognition given by the ASEAN Leaders on the importance of the 4IR in 2017, as well as the increase in number of 4IR-related initiatives across the three pillars of the ASEAN Community in recent years, there has yet an overarching, or umbrella, document that guides ASEAN’s work on the 4IR. Given the rapidly changing pace of technological development and the indispensability of these new technologies in our work, lives, and daily interactions, the need for a coherent narrative for ASEAN in addressing the 4IR is becoming more urgent, and is not something to be addressed only in the successor document of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 or its corresponding blueprint. To this end, there is a shared understanding on the need for ASEAN to develop a coherent strategy that will clearly and holistically articulate ASEAN’s 4IR agenda and directions to both internal and external stakeholders to garner their support for effective implementation. This project supports development of Development of Consolidated Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) for ASEAN. The Consolidated Strategy not only sets out the context of 4IR globally and the...
