ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA)
Is this legally binding?
Emerging. Not in force yet. Expected, and not something you can be held to today.
Not in force. The expected date is shown where one has been published.
ASEAN's first comprehensive region-wide digital economy agreement. Negotiations concluded 29 May 2026 (SEOM 2/57, Manila); targeted for signature at the 49th ASEAN Summit in November 2026. Covers digital trade, cross-border data flows, payments, consumer protection, cybersecurity and emerging areas including AI. Not yet signed or in force.
Instrument record
- Short name
- DEFA
- Date
- 2026-11
- Version
- Not versioned
- Cluster
- asean
What this connects to
4 relations. Official relations are the ones the source documents state; anything marked GAGE analysis is our reading, not an agency's.
Issued by1
Cites2
- InstrumentASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics (2024)Guidance
ASEAN officials state the Guide's seven principles are embedded in DEFA's AI-related provisions
- InstrumentASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap (2025-2030)Guidance
Roadmap was developed in line with the provisions of the then-upcoming DEFA
Maps across to1
- InstrumentModel AI Governance Framework, 2nd Edition (2020)GuidanceGAGE analysis, not official
DEFA's pro-innovation AI provisions reflect Singapore-influenced regional baseline shaped by MGF practice
Verified against the official source on 2026-08-17. GAGE is not affiliated with or endorsed by any agency named here, and nothing on this page is legal advice. How this is built and checked.