Opening remarks by Minister Josephine Teo at ASEAN Ministerial Conference on 22 Oct 2025

My ASEAN Ministerial colleagues,

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn,

Distinguished guests,

Colleagues and friends,

Good afternoon.

1              I am honoured to address you all today at the 10th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity (AMCC).

ASEAN’s Founding Principle

2              When ASEAN was founded in 1967, great power contestation was evident in our part of the world, with proxy wars destabilising lives and livelihoods. ASEANMember States (AMS) understood the idea that “if we do not hang together, we will all hang separately”^[1].

3              The world has changed in many ways, but we live yet again in uncertain times. Major powers are vying for dominance. Besides conflicts in the physical realm, there are tensions across many dimensions – like trade, and in the digital domain. Of particular concern is cyberspace. Cybercrime, scams, and other cross-border threats threaten the promise of digital development. By some estimates, cybercrime has become so big it could be the third largest “economy” in the world, behind only the US and China. Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks have risen in scale, sophistication and impact. Our critical systems that deliver essential services are a prime target. Between 2021 and 2024, detected APT incidents in Singapore alone have increased by more than four-fold. Collectively, these developments threaten our peace and foundations for cooperation.

4              ASEAN, therefore, remains as vital as ever. AMS must continue to convene and maintain our unity. We must strive to uphold an open and interoperable, yet secure and resilient cyberspace for our member states.

A Decade of Achievements

5              Platforms like the AMCC are important in providing us a space for dialogue, cooperation, and consensus-building on cyber issues.

6              Over the past ten years, the AMCC has established itself as a cornerstone of regional cybersecurity cooperation. It has provided a platform to come together, strengthen regional cybersecurity capacity building, and galvanise collective action. They help ASEAN to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex cyber landscape.

7              AMS have moved decisively from discussion to implementation, delivering several notable outcomes that have been pivotal in improving our region’s cyber resilience.

8              In 2018, we became the first regional bloc to subscribe, in principle, to the 11 non-binding norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. This has been a reference for other regional groupings to aspire towards. These norms have served as a guiding framework for ASEAN’s cybersecurity efforts, reinforcing the importance of a rules-based order in cyberspace. Building on this foundation, we took steps to translate these norms into action through the development and endorsement of the ASEAN Norms Implementation Checklist in 2024. This Checklist, shaped by contributions from all AMS, outlines actions that States can take to implement each norm in a voluntary manner, in line with national priorities. This continues to be a living document that is periodically updated by ASEAN Member States.

9              In 2019, we established the ASEAN Cybersecurity Coordinating Committee to bring together representatives from sectoral bodies overseeing cybersecurity. Through efforts such as the ASEAN Regional Action Plan, which maps cross-sectoral initiatives, the committee helps to align our cybersecurity efforts.

10              In 2024, we also launched the physical facility of the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) housed at the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (ASCCE) in Singapore. The ASEAN CERT facilitates regional cyber threat intelligence sharing and provides a dedicated space for collaboration among the AMS.

11              These achievements are testament to the possibilities of regional cybersecurity collaboration and the shared commitment of AMS to build a secure and resilient cyberspace.

Amplifying ASEAN’s Voice on the Global Stage

12              As a region, ASEAN holds considerable weight. We are the fifth largest economy in the world^[2].

13              Yet, as the cyber threat landscape evolves, no single entity, not even ASEAN, can address these challenges alone. Against the backdrop of geopolitical fractures and retreat from building global consensus, we must reaffirm our commitment to uphold an open and interoperable, stable and rules-based cyberspace. ASEAN’s engagements with our ASEAN Dialogue Partners and at the United Nations has been a key pillar of this effort. They help to advance ASEAN’s value proposition as a regional bloc, to maintain ASEAN centrality, and foster consensus in support of ASEAN’s interests.

14              Much of our digital world, as we know it, is shaped not just by governments, but also by the private and people sectors. Thus, ASEAN must partner industry, academia and other stakeholders.

15              In line with this approach, ASCCE will continue to collaborate with Microsoft to strengthen regional cyber resilience. This partnership will focus on the use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) for cybersecurity.

16              Over the next two years, we will convene an annual ASCCE-Microsoft Roundtable on technology developments, and their impact on cybersecurity. This will provide a basis for further regional collaboration.

Building Cyber Capacity for the Future

17              At the same time, let us keep working with one another towards building our collective resilience.

18              Through initiatives such as the ASCCE and the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre (AJCCBC), we have made significant progress in equipping our region with the skills and knowledge to navigate an ever-evolving cyber threat landscape.

19              These Centres have trained more than 4,700 participants from more than 100 countries with programmes spanning the policy, diplomatic, operational, and technical domains.

20              Through the UN-Singapore Cyber Programme and the SG Cyber Leadership Programme, the ASCCE will also partner with industry and academic partners to ensure that the capacity building content remains relevant and cutting-edge. However, more needs to be done, especially given the rise of threats related to AI and online scams.

1. As announced by Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for National Security, we will be renewing the UN-Singapore Cyber Programme for another three years.

21              As part of the renewed programme, the ASCCE will organise workshops and training for AMS on emerging cyber threats.

22              We look forward to the continued support and feedback of ASEAN colleagues.

23              Beyond delivering high quality training, the programmes at the ASCCE and AJCCBC also allow for peer-to-peer exchanges and help build networks between cyber professionals within and outside the ASEAN region, enhancing international and regional cooperation and information sharing, which are critical to enhancing our effectiveness.

24              In December 2025, ASCCE will introduce the inaugural SG Cyber Leadership Programme for the AMS and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) member states. This programme will cover the operational aspects of cybersecurity, providing training on areas such as critical infrastructure protection and incident response. More importantly, this will facilitate ASEAN’s engagement with new partners such as the PIF member states through cross-regional learning, enabling our regions to exchange knowledge and strengthen our collective cyber resilience.

Conclusion

25              As we look ahead to the future, the AMCC must serve as a beacon of regional cooperation and leadership in cybersecurity.

26              Working together—within ASEAN and with partners beyond—we can build a cyberspace that is secure, interoperable, resilient, and inclusive for all.

27              Thank you.

^[1]For info, Mr S Rajaratnam said this at the founding of ASEAN in 1967. This was similarly quoted by PM Lawrence Wong at the S Rajaratnam Lecture in April 2025.

^[2]ASEAN Statistics (2024) – The total GDP of ASEAN reached US$3.6T in 2022, positioning it as the fifth largest economy in the world behind the US, China, Japan and Germany.