The ASEAN Telecommunications and IT Ministers' Meeting (TELMIN)
was formed as a result of a decision to create stronger regional ties within the
telecommunications fraternity in ASEAN.
The inaugural ASEAN TELMIN took place in July 2001, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
TELMIN is based under the ASEAN institutional framework and is fully assisted
by the ASEAN Secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
TELMIN meets once a year during which the Ministers hold a dialogue among themselves.
Part of the TELMIN annual programme includes sessions with the ASEAN Dialogue
Partners on a Plus Three basis (with the People's Rupublic of China, Japan and
the Republic of Korea) and a Plus One basis (with India).
In keeping with the ASEAN tradition, the TELMIN Chair rotates annually among
all members and the usual practice is for the in-coming chair to host the annual
meeting. For corodination purposes, the member who is Chair of TELMIN will also
chair TELSOM for the same term.
When TELMIN was formed, a corresponding body called the ASEAN Telecommunications
Senior Officials' Meeting (TELSOM) was also established to assist the work of
TELMIN. All TELMIN work is coursed through TELSOM which acts as the coordinating
arm of TELMIN.
In addition to TELSOM, TELMIN also has the ASEAN Telecommunications Regulators'
Council (ATRC) as its advisor.
TELMIN also engages with the telecommunications and IT industry players in
ASEAN through the e-ASEAN Business Council comprising representatives of the private
sector from all ASEAN Member countries.
Apart from that, since the 3rd TELMIN in 2003, the annual TELMIN programme
includes a session featuring ASEAN youth. This enables the Ministers to actively
connect with younger ASEAN members towards exchanging thoughts and views on how
Information and Communication Technology affects the lives of ASEAN youth and
how the youth see the future of ICT for ASEAN. This platform emphasizes the importance
of the younger generation and encourages youth organizations to actively participate
in ICT cooperation in the region.
Prior to the TELMIN and TELSOM being established, the ASEAN Economic Ministers
Meeting (AEM) and ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) were charged
with the responsibility of looking at telecommunications and IT matters within
ASEAN. When TELMIN and TELSOM were formed, the technical tract of work which related
to telecommunications and IT (called e-ASEAN) was transfered to TELMIN and TELSOM,
whereas trade and investment as well as liberalization issues remained with the
economic fora.
The current TELMIN and TELSOM institutional framework has been structured to
cater for this and to see to the work directly under their joint purview.
