Government of Timor-Leste

Secretary of State for Social Communication, Expedito Dias Ximenes, represented Timor-Leste at the 16th Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) and the 7th AMRI Plus Three Conference, held in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam, on September 22^nd and 23^rd, 2023.

The central theme of the 16th AMRI was “Media: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Responsive ASEAN”. This event brought together representatives from nine ASEAN member states, with Timor-Leste as an observer and three partners: Japan, the Republic of Korea and China. The main focus was on discussing the role of the media in transforming information into knowledge to strengthen ASEAN's capacity to respond and be resilient.

During the 16th AMRI, member states and partners engaged in dialogue, shared experiences and defined priorities and directions for future collaboration. Furthermore, it made it possible to join forces to successfully achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the priorities of the ASEAN community.

In the event's opening speech, Vietnam's Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan emphasised the importance of cooperation between the press and media in ASEAN for its fundamental role in promoting and connecting values within the community. In a constantly changing world, collaboration to ensure timely and accurate access to information based on digital capabilities becomes essential, not only to transform information into knowledge but also to support businesses, improve people's livelihoods and minimise the impact of negative information at the national, regional and international levels, including in ASEAN.

The Secretary of State for Social Communication pointed out that “the topic discussed at the conference is extremely relevant in a constantly evolving media landscape”.

Expedito Dias Ximenes also emphasised “the crucial role played by the media in disseminating news and information to keep the public well informed about current events and in promoting awareness of important issues”.

He also stated that although “the media also act as platforms for educational content, documentaries and other resources that share knowledge with the public”, “in the current scenario of social media and the ease of sharing information, we face significant challenges in getting accurate and reliable knowledge due to the proliferation of disinformation and fake news”.

For this reason, the Secretary of State stressed “the importance of media literacy, which involves the ability to search for, analyse, evaluate and use different media critically. This skill allows people to evaluate information critically, distinguishing between opinions and objective information.

Expedito Ximenes also added that “at a time when fake news and the disinformation movement pose threats to society, media literacy plays a crucial role as a defence against the spread of misleading information,” so he considered this “a challenge that ASEAN countries must face together, promoting media literacy, critical thinking and encouraging a free but responsible press.”