TOKYO, NEW DELHI, SINGAPORE, SEOUL, WASHINGTON – September 9, 2022 – BSA | The Software Alliance congratulates the leaders of Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam on the conclusion of the September 2022 Ministerial Conference and the release of Ministerial Statements relating to four pillars – connected economy (trade), clean economy, fair economy, and supply chains.

“BSA supports today's announcement of digital trade negotiations focused on data transfers, digital inclusion, and emerging technologies," said Victoria Espinel, President and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance. “We urge all IPEF economies to agree to refrain from adopting data localization requirements, Internet customs duties, unnecessary cross-border data restrictions, or forced technology transfer or disclosure mandates – for example on software source code. We also urge all IPEF economies to promote procedural fairness in standards-setting for digital technologies and services. Finally, we urge all IPEF economies to promote better utilization of these technologies to combat climate change and foster inclusive and equitable economic growth.”

The IPEF is committed to supporting well-paid and highly skilled digital jobs across the Indo-Pacific region, while strengthening alliances and advancing shared supply chain-, labor-, sustainability-, and democratic governance-related goals. For more information, please see BSA’s Jobs-Centric Digital Trade Policy, BSA’s Submission on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and BSA’s Software: Supporting US Through COVID.