ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI)

ASEAN Member States promote cooperation in information to help build an ASEAN identity. One of the main bodies in ASEAN cooperation in information is the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (COCI). Established in 1978, its mission is to promote effective cooperation in the fields of information, as well as culture, through its various projects and activities. The COCI comprises representatives from national institutions like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of Culture and Information, national radio and television networks, museums, archives and libraries, among others. Together, they meet once a year to formulate and agree on projects to fulfill their mission.

Activities in the information sector involve the development of an ASEAN Computer Game and implementation of the ASEAN Quiz at national and regional levels in 2012. ASEAN awareness also is raised through the ASEAN-in-Action and the ASEAN Television News programmes, which involves the exchange of news about the region among radio and television broadcasters respectively for the last 15 years. ASEAN cooperation in digital broadcasting, including working towards an analogue switch-off date, is another important activity of the information sector. The visits of ASEAN journalists to China, India and the Republic of Korea and vice-versa help to establish networking among media practitioners.

Visit the COCI website at http://www.aseancultureandinformation.org and http://www.aseanmedia.net.