Indosiana.com – The recent ASEAN-Japan High-Level Summit celebrating 50 years of collaborative friendship marked a significant stride towards a shared vision of regional stability and cooperation. Amidst affirmations of solidarity and peace, both parties sealed commitments to fortify their collaboration, especially in the realm of cybersecurity, among other priority areas.
As highlighted on setkab.go.id, President Joko Widodo and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated their dedication to preserving peace through inclusive collaboration, adherence to international legal norms, and the strengthening of ASEAN’s centrality.
“ASEAN leaders express gratitude for Japan’s unwavering support in implementing and prioritizing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We welcome the Trilateral Mechanism Summit plans involving Japan, the People’s Republic of China, and South Korea as a demonstration of the habit of dialogue,” stated President Joko Widodo during his press briefing at The Okura Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday (December 17, 2023).
The strategic plan, encapsulated in the “Implementation Plan of the Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship Trusted Partners,” aims to promote broader cooperation. This includes initiatives in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), such as the ASEAN Digital Ministers’ Meeting with Japan (ADGMIN+J) and the ASEAN-Japan Digital Work Plan. Additionally, it pledges support for the implementation of the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM2025).
Moreover, the plan explores the formation of Memoranda of Cooperation (MOC) between ASEAN member states and Japan across various domains. These encompass digital economy, governance of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and ICT to expedite digital transformation and bolster leading economic blocs, supported by transformative digital services, technology, and ecosystems.
Furthermore, the agreement delves into enhancing cybersecurity readiness, reinforcing regional cyber policy coordination, fostering trust in cyberspace, and bolstering regional capacity through various activities. Key among these are initiatives like the ASEAN-Japan Cyber Security Capacity Building Center (AJCCBC), ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (ASCCE).
ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Center of Excellence (ACICE), Japan’s foundational policy for supporting cybersecurity capacity enhancement in developing nations, and the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Policy Meeting. This includes follow-ups from The International Conference on ASEAN-Japan Cyber Security Community held in October 2023 in Tokyo.
These concerted efforts aim to continually seek collaborative potential in establishing cybersecurity standards in ASEAN, aligning with the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy 2021-2025.
This collaboration has been ongoing since 2008 under the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity framework. Indonesia, actively involved and leading collaborative activities, plays a significant role in the ASEAN-Japan Critical Infrastructure Information Protection (CIIP) Workshop through the State Cyber and Cryptography Agency (BSSN).
As the focal point in the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity forum, BSSN has been entrusted to conduct CIIP Workshops from 2022 to 2025. This ensures active involvement in realizing the shared vision between ASEAN and Japan and its subsequent implementation.
The commitment to fortify cybersecurity collaboration stands as a testament to the enduring partnership and shared responsibility toward regional stability and progress. [*]