17th ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) Meeting: Communication Promoting Common Understanding

The 17th AMRI Conference, chaired by His Excellency Dato Pehin Halbi, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defense II of Brunei Darussalam, and attended by Ministers/Heads of Delegation from all ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste (as observer), partner countries China, Japan, Korea and the ASEAN Secretariat, became an important forum for in-depth discussions on the vital role of the information and communications sector. Mr. Neth Pheaktra, Minister of Information of Cambodia, assumed the role of Vice Chairman of the Conference. The Vietnamese delegation led by Permanent Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Hai Binh attended and made active contributions to the Conference.

In his opening remarks, the representative of the host country Brunei Darussalam highlighted the importance of the media sector in supporting ASEAN’s sustainable development goals, while also addressing current global and geopolitical challenges. Brunei also proposed three key focuses for the MAJU theme, including ensuring the media sector operates effectively, sustainably and seeking diverse sources of investment for development. The Ministers agreed that, in the context of a volatile world and the continuous development of digital technology, the ASEAN media industry needs to enhance cooperation and innovation to adapt to rapidly changing media consumption trends and effectively take advantage of opportunities from an increasingly complex digital landscape. One of the core responsibilities highlighted is to proactively and actively nurture and promote the ASEAN Identity, and strengthen regional unity through the production and dissemination of timely, reliable, accurate, inclusive and culturally sensitive information content.

ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Socio-Cultural Affairs San Lwin outlined five key directions for the regional information industry, including: continuing existing efforts to inspire and inform the public about ASEAN developments, enhancing the effectiveness of risk and uncertainty mitigation; affirming the ASEAN information industry as an integral part of the growth of the ASEAN Creative Economy ; minimizing the harm of fake news, focusing on digital literacy, communication and the public’s “attention span”; recognizing youth as creators and change agents, harnessing technology ethically; and using digital platforms to promote cyber wellness and a safer digital environment.

In his speech as the outgoing Chair of AMRI for the 2023-2025 term, Permanent Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Hai Binh expressed his gratitude for the close cooperation of the ASEAN Secretariat and member countries. He emphasized Vietnam's efforts in promoting cooperation priorities, especially the realization of the Da Nang Declaration "Media: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Responsive ASEAN", a statement that has set out a new role and mission for the media industry in enhancing knowledge, understanding and nurturing ASEAN Identity. The Deputy Minister also reviewed the active implementation of the Information and Communications Strategy Plan 2016-2025, the ASEAN Communications Master Plan II, and the activities of the Task Force on Fake News (TFFN) initiated by Vietnam and hosting its first meeting in 2022. After officially handing over the role of AMRI Chair to Brunei Darussalam, Deputy Minister Le Hai Binh affirmed that Vietnam is committed to continuing to closely cooperate with the Chair, Vice Chair and all ASEAN member countries.

During the Ministerial-level discussion, Deputy Minister Le Hai Binh presented in-depth assessments on the topic of "MAJU", considering it a suitable continuation of the spirit of the Da Nang Declaration. He shared the consistent policies of the Party and State of Vietnam in creating conditions for the press and media to develop, while promoting their role in building and creating society. Vietnam's efforts in recent times have focused on realizing the new role of the media, promoting strong digital transformation in the field of journalism, and proactively cooperating internationally to deal with common challenges such as fake news and misinformation. In that spirit, Deputy Minister Le Hai Binh proposed three key cooperation proposals for the coming period: Enhancing the role of the media in knowledge creation; Building a healthy information and communication environment; and Promoting digital transformation, enhancing digital capacity and media literacy.

The Vietnamese delegation also announced plans to host the Forum on Digital Transformation and AI Application in ASEAN Press Agencies and the Forum on National Media Information in ASEAN in the coming time, demonstrating Vietnam's proactive commitment and responsibility in the region's common efforts.

One of the concrete and significant outcomes of the summit was the adoption of the “Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration to Reaffirm the ASEAN Ministers of Information’s Commitment to Strategic Advancement in Communications and Information”. This Declaration emphasized the need for a strong infrastructure for the communications industry and set out strategic directions to enhance the industry’s capacity to address emerging challenges in the digital age, including fake news, the impact of digital transformation, while empowering the youth and promoting the creative economy. In addition, the Ministers also agreed to support the “Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Safe and Responsible Use of Social Media Platforms for ASEAN”, demonstrating a strong commitment to building a safe, inclusive and responsible digital environment.

The meeting also devoted time to meetings with partner countries within the framework of ASEAN+3. The Chinese side affirmed its long-standing cooperation in many fields with ASEAN, encouraged the development of mutually beneficial areas, promoted digital transformation and built community trust for the common development of the region. The Ministers also acknowledged the completion of the Work Plan on Enhancing ASEAN+3 Cooperation through Information and Communications (2018-2025) and looked forward to continuing to develop a new work plan. Cooperation with Japan and the Republic of Korea on specific projects such as the review of the ASEAN Information and Communications Strategic Plan, development of new work plans, film production and capacity building was also highly appreciated.

At the end of the conference, ASEAN member countries expressed their deep gratitude to the Government of Brunei Darussalam for the thoughtful and professional organization. The Ministers/Heads of Delegation had an audience with His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Haji Hassanal Bolkiah immediately after the conference.

The 18th ASEAN Ministers on Information Meeting and related meetings are scheduled to be held in Cambodia in 2027.

Vietnam.vn