The SIXTH ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting (hereinafter referred to as “ADGMIN”) was convened from 15 to 16 January 2026:
REAFFIRMING the aims and purposes of ASEAN as enshrined in the Bangkok Declaration of 8th August 1967 and the ASEAN Charter, particularly to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnerships to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations.
GUIDED by the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Plan 2026-2030 of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May 2025, which aims to achieve as a single and future-ready economy that is anchored on sustainable growth, empowered by advanced technologies, and responsive to emerging opportunities, whilst ensuring that inclusivity and sustainability are mainstreamed across all dimensions of its economic integration endeavours.
FURTHER GUIDED by the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Advancing Digital Transformation in ASEAN, adopted at the 38th ASEAN Summit in 2021 which calls for coordinated and inclusive digital transformation efforts across all ASEAN sectoral bodies; and emphasising the need to accelerate ASEAN’s inclusive, secure, and sustainable digital transformation, promote innovation, bridge the digital divide, and strengthen regional cooperation towards a digitally integrated, resilient, and people-centered ASEAN Community.
ACKNOWLEDGING the Completion Report of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025, which includes its key achievements, findings and recommendations to further enhance cooperation and strengthen the region’s digital competitiveness and readiness, which provide important guidance for formulating a new inclusive, and future-oriented framework to steer ASEAN digital cooperation from 2026 to 2030.
RECALLING the long-standing efforts since the establishment of TELMIN and subsequently ADGMIN to strengthen the regional connectivity as the foundation of ASEAN’s digital development, as well as our collective work to expand secure, inclusive, and affordable access for all; enhance broadband coverage; ensure safer and more reliable internet access for peoples; and promote digital inclusion so that no individual, enterprise, or community is left behind. These efforts have enabled ASEAN to narrow connectivity gaps, bolster socio-economic participation, and foster innovation across the region.
RECOGNIZING that artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging not only as a technology but as a new form of essential infrastructure: an intelligent infrastructure that will underpin the next stage of ASEAN’s digital transformation, shaping how societies operate, how economies grow, and how governments deliver services. Just as physical and digital connectivity have long served as the backbone of regional integration, AI now has the potential to act as the cognitive layer that enables smarter public services, strengthens industrial productivity, enhances cybersecurity, supports climate and environmental action, unlocks new form of digital enabled economic activities, and promotes the shift of citizens from passive consumers to active creators.
EMBRACING AI as a key enabler of digital future equips ASEAN to adapt proactively to the shift from connectivity to connected intelligence, positioning the region to fully realise the benefits of AI-driven transformation, support deeper regional integration, and advance a trusted, innovative and inclusive digital community that empowers every citizen and business to access opportunities, build innovation capabilities and thrive in the global digital economy.
HEREBY AGREED TO:
1. Shape ASEAN’s digital future through the adoption of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2026–2030 (ADM2030), as the cornerstone of regional digital integration, envisioning ASEAN as an inclusive, trusted, and innovative digital community that empowers every citizen and business to thrive in the global digital economy. With the vision of building ASEAN as a trusted, innovative and inclusive digital community that empowers every citizen and business to access opportunities, build innovation capabilities and thrive in the global digital economy, the ADM2030 will guide both regional cooperation and the updating of national digital strategies, to ensure coherent implementation across ASEAN.
2. Support advancing the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement negotiations to establish enabling rules and ensure that its implementation fosters interoperability, inclusivity, and benefits for businesses, consumers, and citizens across ASEAN.
3. Develop Smart, Seamless, Inclusive and Resilient Digital Infrastructure through integrating AI and IoT for smart, predictive operations; enhancing network speed and coverage for seamless connectivity; diversifying access through broadband networks, 5G/6G, cloud services, data centers, LEO satellites, and submarine cables to ensure resilience cross-border continuity; promoting secure-by-design architectures, robust redundancy and diversity mechanisms; and supporting the work of the Working Group on Submarine Cables (WG-SC) to accelerate regional cooperation on facilitating the expeditious repair, maintenance, and protection of submarine cables, as outlined in the Enhanced ASEAN Guidelines for Strengthening Resilience and Repair of Submarine Cables.
4. Advance Trusted and Secure Digital Ecosystem by strengthening regional cybersecurity resilience; enhancing cooperation to combat scams over the telecommunications channels through the implementation of ASEAN Guide on Anti-Scam Policies and Best Practices; promoting interoperability and trusted cross-border data flows through ASEAN mechanisms while respecting domestic data protection and privacy legal frameworks; supporting efforts led by the ASEAN Working Groups; having the ASEAN Regional CERT enable timely cross-border information sharing, joint incident response, and capacity building in line with the ASEAN Norms Implementation Checklist; and enhancing capacity building and harmonise approaches to data protection, cloud security, ASEAN Digital Identity and Digital ID interoperability.
5. Promote Inclusive Digital Participation by enhancing universal and affordable connectivity, ensuring accessible technologies for all, including women, youth, rural communities, and persons with disabilities and other underserved groups; strengthening digital literacy, promoting lifelong learning and responsible digital behaviour; fostering a safe and trusted digital environment to protect citizens from online and telecommunications scams by adoption of standards, and technical measures to empower meaningful and safe participation in the digital society.
6. Strengthen a Future-Ready Digital Workforce and Digital Talent by encouraging collaboration through joint R&D initiatives, academia–industry partnerships, and participation in global innovation platform; promoting the sharing of the development of ICT-related skills among colleges, universities, and training institutions; and support the mobility of professional practitioners across the region by advancing foresight driven workforce planning through leveraging AI and digital analytics to anticipate emerging skill needs, identify talent gaps, and guide policy interventions.
7. Accelerate Digital Economy Integration through the development of interoperable Digital Public infrastructure and data connectivity; promoting paperless and seamless digital trade; strengthening a safe, secure, and trusted cyberspace, including collective efforts to prevent and combat illicit online scams; and strengthening support for start ups, MSMEs, SMEs, and digital entrepreneurs by improving access to technology, finance, capacity-building opportunities, and cross-border collaboration, while empowering citizens and businesses to participate effectively in the digital economy.
8. Deepen cooperation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) by advancing policy harmonisation and strengthening collective safety efforts under the lead of the Working Group on AI Governance (WG-AI) and through ASEAN supporting mechanisms, such as the ASEAN AI Safety Network (ASEAN AI Safe), to further advance ASEAN’s capacity to, address emerging AI opportunities and risks, including sharing best practices on the development of AI infrastructure, exploring real-life application and use cases, and establishing sandboxes to address regional challenges thereby supporting the region’s digital transformation and strengthening its collective voice in global AI governance.
9. Enhance Green Digital Transformation by promoting energy-efficient digital infrastructure and carbon-reduction software techniques, embedding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into national and regional digital transformation strategies, increasing the use of renewable energy for data centres, applying AI to optimize telecommunication networks, and advancing circular-economy mechanisms for effective e-waste management for sustainable development.
10. Encourage collaboration with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, and International Organizations in financing, capacity building, technical cooperation, and innovation partnerships to further ASEAN’s ambition to be a leading global digital hub.
ADOPTED this Declaration at the 6th ADGMIN in Ha Noi, Viet Nam on 16 January 2026.