In the face of the advancing digital economy, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) systems are gaining in importance around the world. This trend is underpinned by the demand to create cost-efficient and convenient mechanisms that employ digital technologies to expand and expedite consumer access to redress, particularly with respect to low-value or smaller claims.

The ASEAN Strategic Action Plan on Consumer Protection (ASAPCP) 2016-2025 foresees the development of ASEAN ODR Guidelines (“Guidelines”), as a priority deliverable for 2021 and in contribution to Goal 3 of the ASAPCP concerning High Consumer Confidence in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and Cross-Border Transactions. As a building block towards realizing the longer-term commitment of an ASEAN ODR Network, the Guidelines provide practical orientation and suggest actionable steps to the members of the ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection (ACCP) and related stakeholders in the ASEAN Member States (AMS) on how to design and operationalize national ODR systems