Ha Noi, 23 April 2024: The ASEAN Future Forum 2024, a new initiative hosted by the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam, concluded on 23 April 2024. The focus of the Forum was fast and sustainable growth alongside a people-centred ASEAN Community. The Forum brought together prominent policymakers, business leaders and experts to discuss critical issues facing the region.

President Watanabe of ERIA participated in Plenary Session 1, ‘ASEAN's Rapid Development for a Sustainable Future.’ His remarks, on ‘Reskilling the Workforce in the Age of the Digital Economy,’ highlighted the challenge of job creation and displacement in the digital era. He emphasised the need for ASEAN to develop a functional skills ecosystem, built upon three pillars: education and training, labour market information, and employment services.

The session, moderated by Dr Dino Patti Djalal (former Indonesian ambassador to the United States and founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia) included H.E. Kishore Mahbubani, Distinghuished Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore; Prof. Ian Goldin, Former Vice President of World Bank – Professor of Globalisation and Development, University of Oxford; H.E. Eduardo Pedrosa, Secretary-General of Pacific Economic Cooperation Council; and Ambassador Brian McFeeters, Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of the US–ASEAN Business Council as speakers. The keynote remarks were delivered by the Honourable Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam; H.E Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communication of Viet Nam; and H.E. Oh Young-ju, Minister of SMEs and Start-ups of the Republic of Korea.

During the Forum, President Watanabe also participated in the business lunch co-hosted by the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, H.E. Pham Minh Chinh, and the Prime Minister of Lao PDR, H.E. Sonexay Siphandone, along with key business leaders from the region. Mr Watanabe addressed the importance of enhancing ASEAN's digital ecosystem. He highlighted the region's young, tech-savvy population as a driver for innovation and job creation, particularly in the realm of climate technology startups. These startups, he noted, exemplify the positive impact digital growth can have on social and environmental well-being. To maintain regional competitiveness and achieve global prominence, President Watanabe emphasised the need for policymakers to focus on six key areas: talent, education, funding, legal environment, interconnectedness, and infrastructure.

During President Watanabe’s visit to Viet Nam, ERIA’s delegation held bilateral meetings with key institutions in Viet Nam – H.E. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo Member of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics; H.E. Nguyen Hong Son, Vice Chairman, Central Economic Affairs Commission; and H.E. Bui Thanh Son, Foreign Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. ERIA is committed to fostering strong relations with Viet Nam and collaborating with the government to chart a course for regional prosperity in a rapidly evolving global landscape.