Building our Sustainable Digital Future

The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) is Southeast Asia’s premier annual forum that brings together the Heads of State, Presidents, Prime Ministers as well as business and thought leaders of ASEAN and its global partners. It is a unique platform to hear how the key issues facing the region are being addressed and to discuss how to ensure the opportunities in ASEAN’s vibrant economies are developed sustainably and inclusively.

The coronavirus continues to impact lives and livelihoods across Southeast Asia. The pandemic has caused us to stop, rethink business models and social contracts and reconsider the future of work and education. This year’s theme ‘Building Our Sustainable Digital Future’ will focus on how we can build back better and recover stronger, together.

Announcement

We are pleased to announce that the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will join the event and give a keynote message.

UK-ASEAN Business Council chairing the panel discussion on ‘Sustainable ASEAN’

The Chair of the UK-ASEAN Business Council, Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG will be chairing the panel discussion on ‘Sustainable ASEAN’ with a particular focus on ‘ASEAN’s Circular Economy: How can Southeast Asia grow sustainably? What needs to be done to incentivise businesses, big and small, to transition and commit to net-zero?’

Session Agenda (UK time)

9.15-9.30am
Leader Keynote Address by The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Scene-setter by Sir David Attenborough

9.30-10.45am
Panel Discussion on ‘Sustainable ASEAN’ chaired by Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Chair, UK-ASEAN Business Council
Keynote Address by H.E. Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and panel discussion with:

• Andrew Morlet, CEO, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Farida Dato Talib, Managing Director and CEO, Brunei LNG
• Surendra Rosha, Co-Chief Executive, Asia Pacific, HSBC
• Assoc Prof Simon SC Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs

*Programme above is subject to change. View the full programme here.

Head of State, Presidents, Prime Ministers Participation 

As in previous Summits, we anticipate the participation, among others, of the following Leaders:

• His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei
• Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia
• Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada
• Premier Li Keqiang of the People’s Republic of China
• President Charles Michel of the European Council
• President Joko Widodo of Indonesia
• Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan
• Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Bin Yaakob of Malaysia
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom
• President Joseph Biden of the United States of America
• Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam

Brunei is delighted to be hosting the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2021. The event will be hosted online. It will be a pivotal event at a crucial time where the public and private sectors can come together and identify ways to promote inclusive sustainable growth in a digital age.