The 16th Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) and Related Meetings kicked off Wednesday with a plenary session of the 20th Meeting of ASEAN Senior Officials Responsible for Information (SOMRI) at Furama Resort Danang, here.
The SOMRI Plenary Session began with welcoming remarks by Vietnam Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam.
In his speech, Lam said in an era marked by technological advancement and abundance of information, the way people consume and share information has evolved at an unprecedented pace.
“It is the duty of the ASEAN senior officials responsible for information to oversee these transformative changes, engaging with all stakeholders and provide recommendations to the ASEAN ministers responsible for information,” he said.
The session also saw the handover of the SOMRI chair from Thailand to Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian delegation led by Communications and Digital Ministry (KKD) Secretary-General Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa in his intervention expressed hope that the grouping would have a fruitful discussion and exchange of insights to discuss matters of mutual importance.
“We look forward to having meaningful discussions and working together to improve information exchange, media collaboration and communication initiatives within the ASEAN community,” he said.
Also in the delegation are the Department of Information (Japen) Director of Media and Corporate Communication Datuk E. Sivabalan, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Deputy Editor-in-Chief (News Service) Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin as well as other high-ranking officials from the ministry and its agencies.
At the session, Malaysia volunteered to be the vice-chair for the Information, Media and Training Working Group for SOMRI beginning 2023 to 2025. The ASEAN Task Force for Fake News (TFFN) is under this working group.
The two-day SOMRI began prior to the 16th AMRI which will officially open on Sept 22. The Malaysian delegation to AMRI will be led by Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Tomorrow, SOMRI will continue with the 7th SOMRI Plus Three and 4th SOMRI Plus Japan Meeting.
Themed ‘Media: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Responsive ASEAN’, the meeting among others focuses on tackling disinformation and combating fake news to build a more resilient and responsive ASEAN Community.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency