Phnom Penh, 20-25 November 2022: Prof Hidetoshi Nishimura, President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), presented at the 43rd ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) General Assembly the Comprehensive Asia Development Plan (CADP) 3.0 and said digitalisation would be the key driver of development of the ASEAN region.  

The assembly, held in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia, on 20–25 November 2022, was attended by AIPA members and other parliamentarians as observers. Samdech Akka Moha Ponhea Chakrei Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia and President of the 43rd AIPA, welcomed the participants whilst Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Chairman of ASEAN, delivered the keynote speech.

At the first plenary session, Prof Nishimura said that to realise the vision set out in CADP 3.0, ERIA’s new Centre for Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy would meet the urgent needs of ASEAN and contribute to realising the vision set out in CADP 3.0. He enumerated the centre’s four-fold mission of providing a public–private dialogue platform to create specific unified rules within the region, a knowledge platform for information about a digital and carbon-neutral economy, a training platform for industries to help them make evidence-based decisions, and practical policy proposals that take into account the voices of private businesses.

Also discussed during the organising committee meeting were the renewal of and the amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding to Develop AIPA’s Capacity on Matters Concerning ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Economic Integration in Various Areas.