Chairman's Statement of the 10th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity

1              The 10th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity (AMCC) was convened on 22 October 2025, in Singapore. The AMCC was chaired by H.E. Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information and Minister-in-charge of Cybersecurity & Smart Nation Group of the Republic of Singapore. The Main Session of the AMCC was attended by participants from all ASEAN Member States. The Secretary-General of ASEAN was also in attendance.

2              The 10th AMCC strongly re-affirmed the importance of cybersecurity not only as a key national security concern but also as a key enabler for the region to reap the benefits of digitalisation and the digital economy. Participants built on discussions in past AMCC sessions to exchange perspectives on the evolving global and regional cyber threat landscape. Participants recognised the heightened level of cyber threats globally and regionally, including the emergence of new sophisticated and advanced threats to Critical Information Infrastructure, the proliferation of ransomware, Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled cyber threats, Internet of Things (IoT)-related cybersecurity threats and cyber-enabled scams. These threats have impacted various sectors across ASEAN, such as finance and healthcare, underscoring the need for collective action.

3              Recognising the transboundary and inter-related nature of many of these threats, participants underscored the importance of strengthening existing regional cybersecurity cooperation, and coordination and capacity building initiatives to enable ASEAN Member States to address evolving cyber threats and strengthen our regional cybersecurity posture. In this regard, participants welcomed the establishment and operationalisation of the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) in Singapore under the oversight of the ASEAN Regional CERT Taskforce under Malaysia’s Coordinatorship and the operationalisation of the ASEAN Regional CERT Information Sharing Mechanism (ISM) to facilitate the timely exchange of cyber threat and incident-related CERT information among ASEAN Member States in support of the work of national CERTs in each Member State. Participants also called for exchanges, workshops, and mechanisms to advance regional cooperation on quantum-safe technologies, given its implications on our digital future if left unaddressed.

4              Participants also recognised the work done by the ASEAN Cybersecurity Coordinating Committee (ASEAN Cyber-CC), the ASEAN Network Security Action Council (ANSAC), ASEAN CERT Incident Drill (ACID), the ASEAN Working Group on Anti-Online Scams (WG-AS) as well as ASEAN Cyber Policy Dialogues with various Dialogue Partners in coordinating regional cybersecurity programmes and initiatives to better equip and enable Member States in raising our collective regional cybersecurity posture. Participants called on these mechanisms to consider ways how they can tap on each other’s work and experience to strengthen the ASEAN region’s regional cyber resilience and ability to address these threats including through the strengthening of timely information sharing, capacity building training and the adoption of IoT and other cybersecurity standards.

5              Participants also reaffirmed their support and commitment towards advancing regional capacity building initiatives through the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC) in Thailand and the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE) in Singapore. Participants highlighted the need to tailor its cyber capacity building programmes to address emerging cyber and digital threats through a needs-based assessment to plug potential gaps in current regional capacity building efforts to develop the necessary technical, operational, policy and cyber diplomacy expertise. Participants recognised the need for partnerships with the industry to strengthen regional cyber capacities in light of emerging cyber and digital threats. Participants also reaffirmed the need for holistic cyber leadership training programmes covering the policy, operational, technical and diplomatic dimensions to be made available to senior officials overseeing national cyber functions.

6              Participants further underscored the vital importance of an open, safe, secure, stable, accessible, interoperable, peaceful, and resilient cyberspace in ensuring the smooth functioning of the digital economy. They welcomed successful conclusion of the Second United Nations Open-ended Working Group (UN OEWG 2.0) on Security of and in the use of Information and Communications Technologies (2021 to 2025), including the adoption by consensus of the Final Report in July 2025. Participants welcomed the practical outcomes achieved during OEWG 2.0 discussions, including on the implementation of the rules, norms and principles of responsible State behaviour in cyberspace as well as fostering stronger international cyber cooperation through the confidence building measures and capacity building initiatives.

7              Participants welcomed the establishment of the permanent UN Global Mechanism on developments in the field of ICTs in the context of international security and advancing responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs. Participants continued to express strong support for UN cybersecurity discussions to remain a single-track process which will allow small and developing States with limited resources to participate meaningfully in discussions. Participants also called on future UN discussions to build on the work of the OEWG 2.0 and other previous UN consensus reports to advance concrete and practical outcomes and initiatives on the application of international law to cyberspace, voluntary, non-binding norms of responsible State behaviour, confidence-building measures, and capacity building activities. Participants welcomed Vietnam's role in hosting the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi on 25-26 October 2025, which will further strengthen global cooperation on cybersecurity issues.

8              During the Special Session with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, participants expressed their appreciation for the continued partnership with Dialogue Partners for meaningful and relevant cybersecurity cooperation aimed at building collective cyber resilience against newer emerging cyber and digital threats. ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners agreed to explore further joint initiatives to strengthen the regional and global cybersecurity architecture, coordinating among the various initiatives where possible to avoid duplication and to ensure the optimal use of resources. This may include aligning with global frameworks like the UN Convention against Cybercrime to promote unified standards.

9              Participants resolved to request the ASEAN Secretariat to submit the 10th AMCC Chairman’s Statement and the outcomes of these discussions to the 47th and 48th ASEAN Summits for notation and to other relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies for further consideration and implementation.