Welcome to our live coverage of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2017. We'll be here in Phnom Penh for the next three days, with the meeting kicking-off today with the session, The ASEAN Dream, starting at 07.30 GMT.
The key themes of the meeting are young people, technology and growth. For more on the topics that will be discussed here in Cambodia, here's a blog post by the Forum's Head of Asia Pacific, Justin Wood.
Ahead of our meeting in Viet Nam, here is everything you need to know about the economic bloc.
You can follow our meeting via the hashtag #asean17. If that's not your social media platform of choice, there are plenty of other ways to keep up with the discussions. For full details, including Facebook, Flickr and how to watch and embed live sessions, click here.
There is much to celebrate as ASEAN turns 50. But just as importantly, the anniversary is also a moment to think about what lies ahead.
With everything that's going on in the world, it's easy to question the value of telling stories or making sculptures. Easy, but wrong, says Miguel Syjuco.
Economic growth in the region is strong, and digital connectivity is set to transform ASEAN - the number of people with internet access is growing by 124,000 every day.
The panel started by discussing what their ASEAN dreams were.
Wai Wai Nu, the director and founder of Women Peace Network stated:
“My dream is for ASEAN is to become an inclusive society where all people in the region can enjoy freedom and security with respect to their human rights.”
Nu was a political prisoner for seven years under the military government in Myanmar, and emerged to serve as a national – and international – voice for Myanmar’s human rights and democracy movement.
Air Asia's Anthony Fernandes emphasised the need for ASEAN to first and foremost become more inclusive, this he said would lead to economic growth.
Fernandes said ASEAN should aim to become a large enough economy that can rival India and China.
The panel moved on to the impact of Technology
On regional integration
On leadership
Given the progress ASEAN has made, the temptation is to see a linear trajectory of development. But this approach is far too simplistic.
That's all from today's live coverage of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2017.
We'll be back here in Phnom Penh tomorrow with the meeting kicking-off with the Press Conference: Meet the Co-Chairs of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2017 starting at 01.15 GMT.
Want to get informed about ASEAN?
Check out today's Key Moment: The ASEAN Dream
Welcome back to our live coverage of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2017. Highlights today include a session on the global trends that will have the biggest impact on ASEAN at 02.00 GMT, a press conference with the Philippine President Rodrigo Doa Duterte at 05.00 GMT, a look at the main challenges facing the 10-country bloc as it turns 50 at 06.30 GMT, plus a whole lot more. Full details here.
“ASEAN's future must be driven by entrepreneurs.” That was the message delivered by Tony Fernandes yesterday during our live-streamed session, The ASEAN Dream.
The AirAsia CEO, one of the region's most high-profile businessmen, also said that technology will be the enabler for anyone with this entrepreneurial spirit.
Fernandes is also excited about the benefits that artificial intelligence could bring to the region. “It is incredible what is happening in that field,” he said. It's a huge opportunity for Cambodians, it's a huge opportunity for ASEAN, to get into that technology while it's still early ... It's going to disrupt all of us, but that doesn't mean that jobs are going to be lost. We shouldn't be fearful of technology taking our jobs. We should move up the curve.”
To be successful, companies must also exploit the diversity that exists in the region of more than 600 million people. “Diversity is our strength. Within four hours of ASEAN there is such diversity, there is such richness of culture. We have a Thai CFO, our head of communications is Indonesian, we've just hired a very senior Cambodian to be in our marketing department, and that is our real strength.”
Finally, Fernandes said that while it's important to “be strong” in one's own country, belonging to an economic bloc like ASEAN gives companies the platform they need to grow even stronger. “ASEAN gives you the ability to grow outside your country into a much larger market to compete with the giants.”
In a world of rapid change, what next for ASEAN?
Our South-East Asia and the Big Picture session looks at the global trends set to impact the region, from technology to trade relationships.
Kicking off the session, anchor Sri Jegarajah, Senior Correspondent, CNBC Asia Pacific, asks the panel for their views on regional integration, particularly on the lessons that can be learned from the European Union.
Speaking about the pivot towards China, George Yeo, Visiting Scholar, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore and Chairman of Kerry Logistics, says China’s One Belt, One Road initiative is an enormous opportunity for South East Asia. "There is a chance for many South East Asian countries to make it to First World status."
But ASEAN countries want to trade with many other countries too, he says.
Moving on to technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Jamal Ibrahim MD, President and Group CEO of Axiata Group Berhad, says all governments in the ASEAN region need to accelerate industries such as telecoms that promote the development of big data.
Mr Ibrahim added that ASEAN's demographics - its relatively young, millennial population - are an advantage when it comes to adapting to new technologies, but the region is "still in the third industrial revolution".
"We need to accelerate," he says.
Grete Faremo, Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Office for Project Services, points out that technology can help the region to become more "resilient".
In a part of the world that faces frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, Ms Faremo says faster and better access to information can help to build "smarter cities" and "resilient agriculture".
Political and economic developments in the West are causing many to question established models of governance.
What alternative ideas does Asia have to address these concerns?
To begin the discussion, Thant Myint-U, Founder and Partner, Ava Advisory Group, highlights the changing political landscape in the West such as the recent US presidential election and the Brexit referendum.
"We’re seeing new styles of leadership, not least in the US," he says... "There is a sense of rising discontent against the political establishment."
What does this mean in ASEAN? Can this shift and its causes be applied in the region?
Victor L. L. Chu, Chair and CEO, First Eastern Investment Group, says that in South East Asia people tend to "look at things longer term, there is higher emphasis on saving and education. These are mitigating factors."
Yoshito Hori, President and Founder, GLOBIS Corporation, says community is key.
Looking at how society can become more resilient, Mr Hori suggest ASEAN countries should try out the West’s best practices.
Part of the reaction that has led to political discontent in the West is that some people feel threatened by technological change, says Mr Myint-U. Are people in the ASEAN region more ready for this change than in the West?
Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary-General and CEO, Care International, says these changes are happening so fast that we need to recognise it's not just about the opportunities created, it's also about the people being left behind.
Mr Myint-U asks what the panel's concerns and hopes are for the region, given the changing political landscape elsewhere.
Mr Chu agrees, adding:
Summing up the session, Mr Myint-U adds that the key to avoiding rising content in the region might be "adaptability" and ensuring that large sections of the population are not left behind by rapid technological change.
Governments must stop silencing young activists and instead work with them to respond to human rights issues. The key question is - how?
ASEAN celebrates its 50th anniversary. Its population is much younger though - just a sixth of its citizens were alive when the bloc was formed.
How do the challenges and trends of the future differ from the past 50 years? And how should the region respond?
On development in the region:
On demographic change:
Yes, according to Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary-General and CEO, CARE International.
Speaking in our co-chairs press conference, Jamann warned that the region risks missing out on the benefits of technological change if it fails to address this problem:
“We do have a problem ... In our host country here in Cambodia, 94% of doctoral students are male, and only 20-21% of researchers are female. So if this is left untouched, all these burgeoning technological advancements run the risk of even increasing gender inequality.”
Jamann has also written a piece for our blog, Agenda, on this very topic. In his article - Women must be at the heart of the digital revolution - he writes: “Planning for success without planning for the rights of women is an unequal formula doomed to fail.”
What does the Fourth Industrial Revolution mean to ASEAN - particularly given the region’s wide disparity in economic development?
Our 'ASEAN in the Fourth Industrial Revolution' session looked at the technologies set to impact development, and how new technology can reduce inequality and promote inclusive growth.
On Singapore's success
According to IMF estimates Singapore has the highest GDP per capita in ASEAN, when measured Nominally or by purchasing power parity. What can the rest of ASEAN learn from Singapore?
On reaping the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution:
The panel agreed that education is the key for the ASEAN to benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
On the demographic dividend:
ASEAN must develop Fourth Industrial Revolution infrastructure like the internet to fully utilise the demographic dividend.
Read more on the Fourth Industrial Revolution here: The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means, how to respond
In this part of the world, globalization is still seen as the key to the future. The key will be making sure that growth here is inclusive.
Protectionism, new markets and technologies, and the collapse of the TPP are just some of the factors re-shaping trade in the region.
'Rethinking Regional Trade' looked at the impact of these factors, along with others, on the region.
You can watch the session back here.
Arancha Gonzalez Laya, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, said we need to focus on how we distribute the costs and benefits of globalization. We can't pretend that globalization can manage itself, she argued. For it to work, we must invest in people.
On the TPP, there was agreement that it's too early to say it's dead. Professor Xue Li and Vivek Bhatia agreed on the massive benefits ASEAN has seen in the past - and can see in the future - from trade. For Bhatia, with or without the TPP, trade will increase in the region.
On technology and automation:
On China's One Belt One Road initiative:
Pan Sorasak, the Minister of Commerce of Cambodia, said barriers to trade need to be systematically lowered. Arancha Gonzalez Laya agrees, but believes removing non-tariff barriers is the key.
“It’s a great time to live in Asia,” writes Adecco's Asia-Pacific head Christophe Duchatellier on our blog.
“Whereas other regions worry about demography, in ASEAN countries almost half the population is aged under 30. Unemployment is remarkably low ... And Asian’s young people are tech-savvy.”
Meanwhile, the region’s internet economy is predicted to be worth at least $200 billion by 2025.
This obviously creates huge opportunities for wannabe-employees and potential employers alike - but is the region's education system prepared?
Not really, says Duchatellier, and if this hyperconnectivity is going to fulfil its potential and change the lives of hundreds of millions of people living in Asia, then the region's academic institutions are in need of top-down reform.
Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines, spoke earlier during the session, 50 Years Young. ASEAN will play a key role in maintaining stability in Asia and is, he said, “an emerging economic powerhouse.”
Duterte also said that leaders in the bloc “recognize that more needs to be done for our people,” while also facing up to challenges like integration, connectivity and technological change.
This pursuit of greater regional integration will be carried out in a way that is distinctly Asian, Duterte went on to say. What does this mean? That it will be done “according to our needs, at our own pace and guided by our core values,” he said.
A connected ASEAN will create a greater sense of “community” in the region, he added.
Young people in ASEAN must be empowered to be “the best version of themselves,” he said, before adding, “we cannot turn a blind eye to the scourge of illegal drugs that threatens our youth and the future of our societies.”
That's it from us here in Cambodia on day two of our ASEAN meeting. We'll be back for the final day of sessions tomorrow, starting with Digital Start-Up ASEAN, which begins at 02.00 GMT. Full details of remaining sessions can be found here. Thanks for joining us.
We've got a packed schedule of sessions coming up, starting with Digital Start-Up Asean. Later this morning at 02.30 GMT, we'll find out what young people in ASEAN think about their future in the region with the release of the ASEAN Youth Survey.
As you know, the theme of the meeting in Phnom Penh is Youth, Technology and Growth, and the population of ASEAN is incredibly young, as this map shows.
Young people will play such an important role in ASEAN's future, as the Forum's head of Asia-Pacific, Justin Wood wrote in this piece for our blog.
“The 630 million citizens of ASEAN are still extremely young (though not universally – Singapore and Thailand are already ageing),” he wrote. “Having a young and growing population creates a golden moment in a country’s economic development journey, promising a powerful demographic dividend. And yet, nothing is guaranteed.”
But how do young people living in ASEAN feel about the region, their future and their career prospects? To find out, the World Economic Forum's ASEAN Regional Strategy Group, with help from Sea Group eCommerce, conducted a survey of young people in the region to gain insights into the perspectives of young people living and working in South-East Asia. This session will delve into the results of that survey.
The session starts with Wood pointing out that 320 million people are already online in the ASEAN region, and this is growing by 124,000 a day. An online survey, therefore, was a great way to reach out to young people in the region. Nearly 24,000 people from across six nations - Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, took part. The typical age of respondents was 16-22, while 70% were male, 30% female. Fifty-percent had a bachelors degree.
So what do the results tell us? Here are some of the key findings:
The vast majority of respondents feel that keeping up with global news is essential, says Wood.
But where do they get their news from? As this chart shows, social media is, to them, one of the most reliable sources.
They are also overwhelmingly optimistic about being part of the ASEAN region, and believe their country's economy benefits from being part of the bloc. Asked about their own prospects, the majority of respondents believed that belonging to ASEAN will be good for their job and career.
You can watch the session again in full here.
The US, Europe, China, India and Japan all have giant technology champions. How can ASEAN nurture their own?
Digital Start-Up ASEAN looks at how innovation and entrepreneurship can be strengthened and policy changed to promote digital enterprises.
Tan Hooi Ling, Co-founder of mobility firm Grab, points out that the ASEAN region has been able to "leapfrog" straight to mobile technology. She asks: "How many of us have landlines for our phones?"
ASEAN has a chance to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
It offers opportunities for South East Asian companies to compete with more established, global organizations, says Patrick Walujo Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the Northstar Group.
However, he points out that manufacturing in ASEAN is still dominated by multinational companies, and that the region is lagging behind when it comes to technical education.
"It will take us a long time to catch up," he says.
Asked whether money matters above all else when competing in a global market as a startup, Paul Bragiel, Founding Partner Bragiel Brothers, says that the right people are even more crucial than plenty of investment.
"It comes down to people - who you put around you."
He adds that tech giants like Google started as a "small, young, nimble team".
And being successful in the future is about adapting quickly to global developments, says Markus Lorenzini, President and CEO of Siemens Ltd Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a tremendous opportunity for ASEAN if key challenges like cyber-security and fixing education are met, said Cisco's Naveen Menon yesterday in this session.
While internet access is rising, access to financial services, credit cards and bank accounts remains low in ASEAN.
'Dethroning Cash as King' asks how this mismatch can be addressed.
Launching the discussion, Li Xin, Managing Director of Chinese media company Caixin Global, asks why use of digital financial services is lower in the ASEAN region than in US and Chinese markets when mobile uptake is so high.
Timothy Murphy, General Counsel and Chief Franchise Officer, Mastercard, says that one of the major challenges is identification.
In many countries, governments are the biggest users of cash, and are in a position to lead a move towards cashless payments, says Mr Murphy.
But before "dethroning" cash, we need to ensure consumers have multiple ways to access money and make payments, says Dr In Channy, Group Managing Director, ACLEDA Bank.
How would ASEAN’s up and coming leaders run the region differently from today’s?
From environmental protection to geopolitical uncertainty, how would young people tackle national and international issues in new ways? What are their values, priorities and concerns and how can they gain trust and confidence in their future?
You can watch the session again here.
William Tanuwijaya, Co-Founder and CEO, Tokopedia, and Cassandra Chiu, Founder and Psychotherapist, The Safe Harbour Counselling Centre, agreed on young people's biggest qualities.
On the need to engage with young people, and give them a voice:
Miguel Syjuco, Assistant Professor of Practice, Literature and Creative Writing, New York University Abu Dhabi, agreed on the need to speak up, and for young people to have their voices heard. He shared a perspective from one of his students: Leaders trying to figure out the modern world, is like watching your grandmother trying to use a computer. Eventually they'll say they don't understand, and give up.
On young people as a minority:
Geena Rocero, Founder, Gender Proud, explained that while there is hunger among young people to participate, for many - particularly in the LGBT community - the opportunity is not.
In its first half-century, ASEAN exceeded all expectations in forging a regional community and an integrated economic area. But with tougher tasks still ahead, how can the ASEAN integration project continue to prosper? This is the topic of the session coming up at 06.00 GMT, ASEAN after 50: What Next?
If you missed it, Chandran Nair, Founder and CEO of the Global Institute for Tomorrow, wrote this piece for us on ASEAN's first 50 years, it's current place in the world and, most importantly, what should come next.
Kicking off the session, host Toni Waterman from ChannelNews Asia asks the panel what ASEAN's greatest achievement has been over the last 50 years.
"What got us here won't get us there," says Nazir Razak from CIMB Group Holdings. Doing things the ASEAN way has got the region this far, but with the advance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the "ASEAN way will have to change.
ASEAN must come to terms with balancing the economic, cultural and social rights while pursuing the economic, development agenda, is the key challenge
While recognizing that ASEAN has come a long way, there is still a lot of work to be done to protect the rights of workers, says Amnesty International's Minar Pimple.
Is there a danger that ASEAN will become a project of the elites, and that the region will suffer similar issues as Europe in the wake of the Brexit vote?
ASEAN remains cohesive, no-one talks about an ASEAN exit amongst business people, says Razak. Research shows that young people are "into" ASEAN, he adds.
Oxford University's Pingtjin Thum says he believes ASEAN is not very relevant to the people of South-East Asia. If you want an ASEAN that is relevant, it must be built from the ground up and represent the hopes and fears of the people. The current strategy is an elite-driven contruct, he adds.
How will the Fourth Industrial Revolution affect the region? It's an opportunity not to be squandered.
"It's the age of acceleration," says Razak, and it'll happen as fast in the developing world as it does in the developed. But ASEAN sees this, and is responding.
What about the risks to jobs? Especially those in industries like garment manufacturing, which is mostly made up of female workers.
People will lose their livelihoods, so the region needs to prepare, says Pimple. Certain mechanisms - education, reskilling on a mass-scale, social protections - need to be in place.
Is ASEAN ready?
We need to take charge, and the human capital issue is most important, says Mari Elka Pangestu, rofessor of International Economics, University of Indonesia. Computer literacy is the first step, she adds.
But none of this will matter without political representation for the workers, says Pingtjin Thum. Our future is not an elite issue, it is a lived reality, he adds. Free and fair elections are essential.
The Co-Chairs of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN reflected on the meeting’s highlights. They considered the key takeaways and looked at what should happen next.
One of the key themes of this year's forum on ASEAN has been inclusion:
On the future of ASEAN:
The ability to distinguish between genuine and fake news websites is the key challenge, said Mari Elka Pangestu, Professor of International Economics at the University of Indonesia during the session on the ASEAN Youth Survey.
The illegal fishing industry isn't just bad for the environment, it's also forcing thousands of people into slave labour. This was discussed in one of today's sessions, Illegal Fishing.
The International Justice Mission's Peter Williams talked about 17-hour days, people being forced to take drugs to stay awake and conditions that are “degrading” and “slave-like”.
Williams also said men are often lured to shipping ports by the promise of work overseas, where they are then sold to work on fishing boats. By the time they realize, it's often too late.
Young people, technology and growth were the key themes of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2017. Here are 8 key moments from the meeting.
That's almost it from us in Phnom Penh. If you missed anything, you can catch up with all the live-streamed sessions here, read all our blogs and take a look at our Flickr stream for all meeting-related photos.
Thanks for joining us!
