The ASEAN Digital Ministers' Meeting (ADGMIN) is the highest-level cooperation mechanism in the field of digital technology of ASEAN, held annually in rotation between member countries. At the regular press conference on the afternoon of December 31, Ms. Le Thi Viet Lam - Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Information Technology, Vietnam will host the 6th conference in 2026.
The event is of great significance in strategic orientation, policy development and promotion of digital cooperation in ASEAN. This is also a forum to strengthen coordination with international partners and organizations in the context of strong digital transformation and digital economy acceleration globally.
The conference is expected to attract about 300 domestic and international delegates. Participants include leaders of the Vietnamese Government; Ministers, Deputy Ministers and senior officials in charge of the digital sector of 11 ASEAN member countries; ASEAN Secretary General and ASEAN Secretariat. Along with that are digital leaders of partners such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Russia and the United States, along with representatives of international organizations.
The theme of this year's conference is "ASEAN Adaptation: from infrastructure connectivity to intellectual connectivity". This is an orientation that demonstrates the region's shift from expanding digital infrastructure to data exploitation, developing artificial intelligence, accelerating new technologies and building smart systems.
Ministers will exchange views on the transition from traditional connectivity models to smart connectivity based on data and innovation. The discussion content also focuses on developing digital human resources and supporting sustainable socio-economic growth goals.
The conference takes place from January 12-16, 2026 in Hanoi. The first three days are for ASEAN digital officials' meetings and thematic activities. On January 15, the official opening ceremony, ASEAN Ministerial-level meetings and dialogue with dialogue partners will be held; a reception and award ceremony for ASEAN Digital Awards 2026. On January 16, meetings with ASEAN partners and the ASEAN Business Council will be held, and the ASEAN Digital Master Plan for the period 2026-2030 will be announced.
This year's conference marks the first time Timor Leste has participated as a full member of ASEAN. The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations in charge of digital technology and emerging technologies will attend the discussion session, sharing a global perspective on the trends of artificial intelligence and digital governance development.
Within the framework of the conference, the final and award ceremony of the ASEAN Digital Awards will take place, honoring typical digital technology initiatives in the region. Digital technology demonstration space is also arranged to introduce products and applications reflecting the new trends of ASEAN digital cooperation.
