VietNamNet – Realising an ASEAN information society, already agreed upon at TELMIN5.

Vietnamese Post and Telematics Minister Do Trung Ta, chairman of the fifth ASEAN Telecommunications and IT Ministers Meeting (TELMIN5), presided over a press conference announcing the results of TELMIN5 on September 27. Major content that has already been approved by ten ASEAN member countries include:

-          A key IT development programme for ASEAN in 2005-2010 period, focusing on cooperation activities among ASEAN member countries to raise competitiveness and unity in the block, looking to a future information society. The programme concentrates on four areas: the promotion of  e-commerce and ICT products; the development of ASEAN information infrastructure; the strengthening of Internet access, to narrow the digital divide; and the establishment of e-government, e-society and IT human resources.

-          The Hanoi Agenda, defining strategic orientations, and five framework action programmes for the ASEAN ICT industry: (1) establishment of an environment encouraging services and network applications; (2) promotion of connection and combination in network exploitation; (3) strengthening of digital contents and online services; (4) strengthening of network security through coordination with the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and establishment of a CERT network in ASEAN; and (5) Building and developing IT human resources.

-          The joint statement of ASEAN telecommunications and IT ministers on Internet governance, a significant point for the World Summit on Information Society, that will be held in Tunisia this November.

-          Introduction of  ASEANconect.gov.mv providing information and data on ASEAN’s ICT sector.

-          The cooperation programme on ICT between ASEAN and dialogue countries. 

Hoang Hung