Background

This special session is curated in the form of a regional media salon, hosted by the UNDP-EU joint action ‘Agents of Change: Youth and Media for Responsible Business Practices’, in partnership with Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN). It will be an in-person event in Bangkok along with a global live web-stream.

Behind every generative AI query lies a physical pipeline: energy-hungry data centers, transoceanic cables, and vast, subcontracted labour networks. While the emerging technology revolution promised a 'green and frictionless' future, the reality is an opaque supply chain that has a visceral impact on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for communities across ASEAN. Southeast Asia acts as the central material anchor for this emerging technology boom, commanding 85% of global electronic chip and semiconductor exports while dominating the refining of AI-critical hardware components – including 99% of global gallium and 85% of silicon. 

The urgency of this story is underscored by the immense economic transformation unfolding across the region, with the historic discussions on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which is slated to be the first region-wide, dedicated digital economy pact. Through this framework, Southeast Asia's digital economy is projected to leap from its current $300 billion valuation to an astronomical $2 trillion by 2030. However, this hyper-acceleration means that infrastructure, data labor, and supply chains are scaling at a pace that severely outstrips national regulatory oversight, cementing Southeast Asia's status as both the beneficiary of the digital boom and the primary casualty of its externalized harms. 

Who should attend?

Designed as a curated discussion, the session will convene 25-30 participants from a cross-section of stakeholder groups in the emerging tech and Business, Human Rights & Environment space like:

· Bureau chiefs, editors, foreign correspondents, investigative, business and tech journalists
· Senior representatives from the private sector, multilateral, civil society and youth-led initiatives

What will the salon focus on? 

If you work in media: 

For investigative journalists, the critical narrative lies at the intersection of tech policy, climate justice, and corporate legal accountability. This salon focusses on the following core outcomes for you:

• Deconstructing human rights due diligence: Equipping journalists with the investigative toolkits needed to analyze corporate behaviour against the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and emerging policies such as ASEAN’s DEFA and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)
• Investigating access to remedy: Identifying systemic barriers facing local populations affected by tech-related environmental and human rights impacts and documenting the journey towards corporate accountability
• Advancing cross-border collaboration: Connecting reporters with regional experts, peers and civil society actors to foster investigative networks that can track intersectional risks across tech supply chains

If you work in business, civil society, multilateral, or other stakeholder groups:

Bringing together meaningful multi-stakeholder dialogue, this salon will focus on the following outcomes for you: 

• Insights on regional corporate accountability coverage: Through table discussions, understand & contribute inputs that can help shape narratives and trends in this space 
• Hear directly from the media: Learn insights directly from senior media leaders, with a unique behind-the-scenes perspective and dialogue on how stories in this sector are identified, investigated, and written
• Network: Build valuable connections with stakeholders across the media, business, civil society, and policy network within the BHR+E space 

How to join

The event will take place in central Bangkok combined with a virtual Zoom webinar for those joining virtually.

For in-person participation, due to limited availability of spots, we request you to register at the earliest opportunity, ideally before 21 June. Participants will receive a confirmation email with venue and other details along with a  briefing pack. 

Important note: Should all spots for in-person participation be filled, we’ll add your name to the waitlist and be in touch if a place becomes available.

Register to Join In Person