The sixth ASEAN Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADGSOM) and related meetings took place from January 12 to 14 in Hanoi. Delegations exchanged views and reviewed progress in priority cooperation areas, focusing on enhancing coordination and harmonisation of digital policies across ASEAN.
Illustrative photo. Photo: Ampshireflag
The sixth ASEAN Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADGSOM) and related meetings took place from January 12 to 14 in Hanoi, within the framework of the 6th ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (ADGMIN) being held from January 12–16.
The meetings gathered heads of delegations and representatives from agencies responsible for information technology, telecommunications, and digital transformation from ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretariat and relevant partners.
ADGSOM serves as ASEAN’s senior officials-level mechanism in the digital sector, tasked with coordinating, reviewing and preparing substantive inputs for ADGMIN, while monitoring and promoting the implementation of regional digital cooperation programmes and initiatives.
During the sessions, delegations exchanged views and reviewed progress in priority cooperation areas, focusing on enhancing coordination and harmonisation of digital policies across ASEAN. They also discussed developing regional frameworks and guidelines in line with international practices, narrowing digital divides, promoting innovation and the application of emerging technologies. Discussions also covered strengthening digital safety, security and resilience, as well as developing digital human resources and skills, particularly among youth and the young workforce.
ADGSOM also held meetings with ASEAN’s dialogue partners in the digital sector to review the implementation of ongoing programmes and projects and discuss future cooperation directions. Participants underscored the importance of closer coordination and ensuring complementarity between ASEAN-led initiatives and partner-supported activities, with a view to promoting practical and effective cooperation aligned with ASEAN priorities in IT, telecommunications and digital transformation.
In addition, Joint Working Group and Governing Council meetings were convened to review technical cooperation outcomes and consider proposals for the next phase. Particular attention was given to reviewing the ASEAN Digital Masterplan (ADM) 2025, which has recorded positive progress toward building a shared regional digital ecosystem, while laying the groundwork for the ADM 2026–2030 to ensure connectivity, coherence and sustainability of regional digital initiatives.
Outcomes and recommendations from the sixth ADGSOM will be consolidated and submitted to the sixth ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting for consideration and decision on directions to advance ASEAN’s digital agenda in the coming period./.