One of the major highlights of Indonesia’s success as ASEAN Chair 2023 is the launch of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). Last week, the first round of discussions started and will continue for two years before the substantive outcome is delivered. The relatively short timeline is aimed so that ASEAN will have the first regional digital economic agreement in the world. The larger goal of DEFA is that the agreement aims to contribute around USD2 trillion to the digital economy by 2030 by creating and maintaining a resilient, sustainable and inclusive digital ecosystem so that the region can increase its competitiveness within the global economy