Ministerial Session on the Future of Data Governance in Asia and Operationalisation of “Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) ” held
Published on February 7, 2024
On February 3, 2024, Minister Kono hosted the Ministerial Session on the Future of Data Governance in Asia and Operationalisation of "Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT)" in Singapore, co-chaired by Mrs. Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs of Singapore.
In addition to Singapore, the meeting was attended by relevant ministers and others from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam, as well as the President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
Session Overview
The session included discussions on the progress of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and future collaborations between Japan and the Asian countries on sustainable and inclusive development of data governance in Asia.
Minister Kono emphasized that "this session will be an opportunity for Japan and Asian countries to kick-start future collaborations on cross-border data flows " and referred to the establishment of an Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP) under the OECD, highlighting the advancement of future cooperation. During the session, participating countries introduced their own data protection regulations and responses to global issues. Positive opinions were also expressed, including gratitude for Japan's leadership in DFFT and remarks on the importance of data governance. The theme of the session was to promote cooperation between Japan and Asian countries, and the meaningful discussions took place with various initiatives presented by each country.
We will promote data governance for sustainable and inclusive development in Asia under a strong partnership between Japan and the Asian countries, and work together to create concrete and practical projects linking Japan’s digital ecosystems with those of Asian countries to expand these efforts globally.
(Ministerial Session on the Future of Data Governance in Asia and Operationalisation of “Data Free Flow with Trust（DFFT）”)
Meetings between the relevant ministers and others
1. Brunei
Minister Kono had a meeting with Mr. Mustapha, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications and presented Japan's digital transformation initiatives and discussed the progress of DFFT/IAP, along with the cooperation between the two countries in government digitalization under international data governance.
(Meeting with Mr. Pengiran Dato Shamhary Mustapha, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications)
2. Malaysia
During the meeting with Mr. Gobind, Minister of Digital, they discussed progress and cooperation on Japan-Malaysia data governance and exchanged information on the priorities in the digital agenda of both countries.
(Meeting with Mr. GOBIND Singh Deo, Minister of Digital)
3. Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
Minister Kono met with Mr. Watanabe, President of ERIA, who attended the Ministerial Session on the Future of Data Governance in Asia. They discussed cooperation on data governance in Asia and exchanged views on the ASEAN digital economic policy.
(Meeting with Mr. Watanabe Tetsuya, President of ERIA)
Tuas Port Visit
Minister Kono visited Tuas Port, set to become the world’s largest fully automated terminal upon its completion in 2040. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is planning to introduce an AI-enabled Next Generation Vessel Traffic Management System to manage the increasing traffic at the port. Currently, unmanned vehicles such as automated yard cranes are operational within the port.
(Visited Tuas Port, set to become the world’s largest fully automated terminal in 2040.)