On February 3, 2024, Minister Kono hosted the Ministerial Session on the Future of Data Governance in Asia and Operationalisation of "Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT)" in Singapore, co-chaired by Mrs. Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs of Singapore.

In addition to Singapore, the meeting was attended by relevant ministers and others from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam, as well as the President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

The session included discussions on the progress of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) and future collaborations between Japan and the Asian countries on sustainable and inclusive development of data governance in Asia.

Minister Kono emphasized that "this session will be an opportunity for Japan and Asian countries to kick-start future collaborations on cross-border data flows " and referred to the establishment of an Institutional Arrangement for Partnership (IAP) under the OECD, highlighting the advancement of future cooperation. During the session, participating countries introduced their own data protection regulations and responses to global issues. Positive opinions were also expressed, including gratitude for Japan's leadership in DFFT and remarks on the importance of data governance. The theme of the session was to promote cooperation between Japan and Asian countries, and the meaningful discussions took place with various initiatives presented by each country.

We will promote data governance for sustainable and inclusive development in Asia under a strong partnership between Japan and the Asian countries, and work together to create concrete and practical projects linking Japan’s digital ecosystems with those of Asian countries to expand these efforts globally.