Opening of the 7th ASEAN Media Forum

Speaking at the AMF, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn affirmed that the ASEAN Secretariat has always considered the AMF as one of the premier events, a gathering place for prominent media leaders and editors-in-chief of major English-language newspapers in the ASEAN region with policy makers, officials, key ASEAN members, along with academics and business leaders. The AMF provides a platform for ASEAN to convey key messages on the region’s goals, achievements and challenges to media leaders, while promoting discussions on relevant regional and global issues.

“This forum helps enhance media editors’ understanding of how ASEAN works and how the media can play a key role in better communicating the ASEAN story to the people,” the ASEAN Secretary-General stressed. “As ASEAN continues its multi-faceted efforts to promote connectivity among its peoples, we are committed to building a community.”

This is a very important factor for the success of the regional integration process. Therefore, the media needs to effectively and accurately convey what regional integration entails to all stakeholders,” said Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, which is why the ASEAN Secretariat needs to engage the media to raise awareness, promote understanding and correct misinformation about the ASEAN integration agenda.

Also at the AMF, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized that the country encourages ASEAN to continue these meaningful activities to bring accurate information to the people, and at the same time create a media connection network with government officials, policy makers, officials, scholars in the region, as well as in the world to promote discussions on global and Southeast Asian issues. The AMF helps all participants have a deeper insight into the future of ASEAN Community Building.

At the event, scholars, officials from ASEAN countries and regional media also discussed a number of topics, including Timor Leste's process of joining ASEAN.

AMF has been implemented with the support of the German Federal Government through the Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) since 2017.