UNDP hosts a Regional Media Salon, with a theme of “Behind the Algorithm: Technology, Rights & Environment in ASEAN”

On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), we are delighted to invited you to join us as a participant at our upcoming in-person Regional Media Salon with the theme of ‘Behind the Algorithm: Technology, Rights & Environment in ASEAN’. This salon is hosted by the UNDP-EU joint action ‘Agents of Change: Youth and Media for Responsible Business Practices’, with support from Earth Journalism Network (EJN).

Who will attend:

Designed as an invite-only curated discussion, the session will convene 25-30 participants in-person, from a cross-section of stakeholder groups in the emerging tech and the Business, Human Rights and Environment space. For example, bureau chiefs, editors, foreign correspondents, investigative, business and technology journalists and key representatives from the private sector, multilateral, civil society and youth-led initiatives.

Salon theme: Behind the Algorithm: Technology, Rights & Environment in ASEAN

Behind every AI query lies a physical pipeline: energy-hungry data centres, 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.

Why should you attend?

For investigative journalists, the critical narrative lies at the intersection of tech policy, climate justice and corporate legal accountability. While frameworks like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) provide a blueprint for corporate due diligence, the gap between sustainability commitments and the on-the-ground realities remain a key investigative beat. This salon will therefore serve as a strategic newsroom briefing focused on three core outcomes:

Toolkits on deconstructing corporate 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 toward 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.

Speakers to be confirmed shortly.

Food and beverage will be arranged for the networking reception for people who attend the event by registering for the session (before June 21). Entry is only via invite & registration. As spots are limited, we request you to confirm your interest via this form as soon as possible. If registration is full by the time you confirm, we will add your name to our waitlist and ensure we contact you in case a spot opens.

Link to register: https://forms.office.com/e/D146P5X6ih

The event will be livestreamed at this link.