Second ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting

• 31 Jan 2022

For Prelims: Location of ASEAN nations, ADGMIN, India-ASEAN Digital Work Plan 2022, ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit.

For Mains: India-ASEAN Digital Work Plan 2022, Information and communication technologies (ICT) and its importance, India’s relations with ASEAN.

Why in News

Recently, the 2^nd ASEAN Digital Ministers' (ADGMIN) Meeting with India virtually, where two sides finalized India-ASEAN Digital work plan 2022 for future collaboration in the field.

Key Points

• About:
  • ADGMIN is an annual meeting of telecom ministers of 10 ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) countries and dialogue partner countries—Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia, UK and US.
    • ASEAN nations include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• India-ASEAN Digital Work Plan 2022:
  • India and ASEAN nations have jointly approved a work plan under which they will develop a system to combat use of stolen and counterfeit mobile handsets.
  • Other areas of cooperation include wifi access network interface for nationwide public internet.
  • Emphasis will also be given on the capacity building and knowledge sharing in emerging areas in the field of information and communication technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, advanced satellite communication, cyber forensics.
• Significance of the ICT:
  • Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) enables and strengthens democratic systems and institutions through enhanced engagement between citizens and the state.
  • Use of ICTs promote free speech, human rights and the free flow of information besides expanding citizens' opportunities to participate in decision-making processes and have potential to transform lives of people living in rural areas.
  • Technology has emerged as a powerful tool to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which is not just a challenge for the public health system but is also adversely impacting the economy and social order of the countries.
• Related Steps taken by India:
  • The telecom ministry in December 2019 had launched a portal to help people in Delhi-NCR block and trace their stolen or lost mobile phones.
    • The project is backed by the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system, which was undertaken by the telecom department for addressing security, theft and other concerns including reprogramming of mobile handsets.

Other Related Groupings

• ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus:
  • It is an annual meeting of Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN countries and eight dialogue partner countries.
  • The ADMM-Plus countries include ten ASEAN Member States and eight Plus countries, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, and the United States (same as in the EAS).
• ASEAN Regional Forum:
  • Established in 1994, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is an important platform for security dialogue in the Indo-Pacific.
  • It comprises 27 members: the 10 ASEAN member states, the 10 ASEAN dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia and the United States); Bangladesh, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste; and one ASEAN observer (Papua New Guinea).
• East Asia Summit (EAS):
  • Established in 2005, it is a forum of 18 regional leaders for strategic dialogue and cooperation on the key political, security, and economic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region.
  • It comprises the ten member states of the ASEAN which are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with 8 other countries namely Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA.

Source: PIB