Cross-border data sharing has become increasingly critical in the digital era, where data underpins economic growth, innovation, and effective governance. The ability to securely and efficiently exchange data across jurisdictions enables governments to improve public service delivery, strengthen evidence-based policymaking, and unlock new opportunities for economic cooperation.
Despite its importance, cross-border data sharing in the Asia-Pacific is hindered by divergent governance frameworks, interoperability issues, privacy and security concerns, and limited capacity to build secure infrastructures and common standards. Within the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (APIS) initiative, ESCAP, with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of the Republic of Korea, launched the pilot project “Advancing the Cross-Border Data Sharing Platform in Pilot Countries with a Focus on Digital Public Service,” in partnership with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
To build on these efforts, ESCAP is convening an informal stakeholder meeting to review the proposed cooperation framework, discuss progress in pilot areas, and identify next steps for practical cross-border data sharing in preparation for the December Regional Capacity-Building Workshop. By creating a space for dialogue, the meeting aims to build confidence among stakeholders, strengthen collaborative approaches, and highlight how data-driven cooperation can contribute to innovation across the Asia-Pacific.
