COORDINATING MINISTRY FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

PRESS RELEASE
HM.4.6/302/SET.M.EKON.3/05/2024

Minister for Digital Transformation of Japan Recognizes ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) One Step Ahead

Paris, 3rd May 2024

Policies related to cross-border data flows are very important for the global economy and to achieve the targets of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. At the Organization for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD) Ministerial Level Meeting (PTM) held in Paris, France on 2 and 3 May 2024, OECD ministers met to discuss the importance of international data governance policies in the digital economy and the role it should play OECD plays to overcome barriers to the free flow of data.

OECD ministers agreed to increase mutual trust between countries and cross-border interactions to progress the Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) initiative. The concept of cross-border privacy and data protection has been identified as an important aspect of the DFFT agenda.

As the main speaker in the "Solution-Oriented Approaches to Emerging Challenges" session, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto conveyed important achievements at the 2023 ASEAN Indonesia Chairmanship in the field of digital economy. The launch of a cross-border payment system in the Southeast Asia region and the agreement on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) are achievements that need to be paid attention to by the OECD.

In line with Coordinating Minister Airlangga, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Japan, Kono Taro, said that the OECD needs to learn from the ASEAN DEFA framework which is one step further. DEFA is an important milestone in the journey of digital integration in the ASEAN region which aims to harmonize digital trade regulations and build digital economic cooperation among member countries in the region.

Minister Kono Taro hopes that coordination efforts between the OECD and ASEAN can be improved, especially in terms of smoother cross-border digital trade and ease of doing business in the region through policies in key areas such as digital trade facilitation, payments, standards, and trusted data exchange. (dep7/ltg)

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Secretary of Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia
Susiwijono Moegiarso

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