Hong Kong – CE watches Asian Games in Hangzhou to cheer for Hong Kong athletes (with photos)

Sep 24, 2023 | International

CE watches Asian Games in Hangzhou to cheer for Hong Kong athletes (with photos)

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     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (September 24) watched various competitions at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou (Asian Games) to cheer for Hong Kong athletes.
      
     The delegation led by Mr Lee went to various event venues to watch the competitions with Hong Kong athletes’ participation, including swimming, Wushu and fencing. Mr Lee extended his warmest congratulations to athletes who won medals in today’s competition. 
      
     Mr Lee said that the Asian Games held in Hangzhou is of great importance to Hong Kong athletes as they are competing in our country. He was pleased to have the opportunity to watch the races in person with the participation of Hong Kong athletes, who were striving for excellence and demonstrating extraordinary capability. He expressed his hope that Hong Kong athletes will continue to go beyond themselves and unleash their potentials in achieving outstanding results in various events.

     In the morning, Mr Lee also visited the Zhejiang Liaison Unit of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to learn more about its work in promoting closer economic and trade relations between Zhejiang and Hong Kong and fostering cultural exchanges between the two places. He also encouraged colleagues to strive to serve Hong Kong people and enterprises in Zhejiang, and attract businesses and talents to Hong Kong.

     In the afternoon, Mr Lee attended a lunch with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC). He said that the SF&OC has provided necessary arrangements and assistance to the Hong Kong, China Delegation for participating in the Asian Games. He appreciated the work of the SF&OC.
      
     Mr Lee will continue his visit tomorrow (September 25).

Asian Video Industry is Set for Greater Growth as Opportunities Abound Beyond Traditional TV

Jun 28, 2023 | Business

The Asia Video Summit marked a successful return to Hong Kong, with almost 300 delegates attending the conference in person and virtually.

Hosted by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), the Summit conversations centred around the key themes of “The Making of Korea and the Model for Who’s Next?”, “Video at the Crossroads”, “Technology Taking Over”, “The State of Video 2023” and “The Advance of Advertising”, with a special opening session to set the stage, led by Henry Tan, Special Advisor, Astro, & Chairman, Astro Awani and Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia with Louis Boswell, CEO, AVIA.

While recognising there are many important and challenging issues evolving in the industry, the mood was upbeat across the two-day summit. The conversation with Couto and Tan touched upon much of this and while recognising the importance of advertising on premium video which was growing, Tan also added that there was no better business than long term subscription, even if for now the mantra of streaming companies was to give the consumer full flexibility.

Discussing how Korea had generated such success in “How The Wave Was Launched”, Peter Choe, CEO, Blintn said that the Korean “export mindset” had been a key factor while Hyun Park, Producer and Advisor, Studio Dragon, said that Korean writers were very good at changing their style of storytelling to capture the market. However, the most important was to understand what the consumer wants, and that’s what Korea has become so good at, added Jeeyoung Lee, GM, Korea, Warner Bros. Discovery.

This focus on content continued with local experts on Chinese and Thai entertainment. In both markets, a good ecosystem of support and incentives was welcomed to nurture local talent. Cooperation within the region could possibly push growth across Asian markets, said Desmond Chan, Deputy GM, Legal and International Operations, TVB. There was particular optimism around the prospects for Thai content, and while recognizing this, Prof. Pirongrong Ramasoota, Commissioner, The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, Thailand, stressed the importance of “light-touch governance” to allow “industry players to be more creative and innovative with their content.”

The topic of monetization was also widely debated over the two days of the Summit. Gaming and e-commerce were seen as additional touchpoints and opportunities for cross-pollination with video to grow the consumer base. Ivy Wong, CEO, VS Media, shared that one-click purchase and seamless integration was what made e-commerce so successful in China, compared to other regions where consumers will have to go through several clicks to make the purchase. For William Wong, Head of Solutions Engineering, HK, Akamai Technologies, the key takeaway was not to focus on a single platform, but to diversify to capture different markets.

With the shift from linear to digital advertising, the time for CTV (Connected TV) could be upon us as “CTV is here to stay and will continue to grow. Dollars follow eyeballs. . . premium content with quality will earn more credible trust for our brands,” opined Douglas Choy, GM of Inventory Development, The Trade Desk. Gavin Buxton, MD Asia, Magnite, added that collaboration was key in terms of cross measurement to take CTV onwards, with audience and ad experience being the key driver behind that.

Louis Boswell, CEO, AVIA, presented highlights from a recent commissioned research[1] that measured the impact of advertising in a premium OTT environment versus mass streaming video environments (UGC / video sharing services) including (1) consumers felt that premium OTT was higher quality (58% OTT vs 36% mass) and commanded higher attention than mass streaming video environments (49% OTT vs 35% mass); and (2) both product recall (10% uplift) and brand recall (12% uplift) were significantly higher for the same ads when shown in a premium environment.

Closing off the Summit with a positive outlook, Alexandre Muller, MD APAC, TV5MONDE, said that Asia was where there were growth and opportunities for the video industry. “There are definitely challenges but people are excited because we are looking for solutions,” said Roger Tong, CEO, AsiaSat. “The bright spot is the diversity that we are seeing. . . There is so much diversity that it allows us to be more creative and if we maintain our creativity in solving the problems, then we will be able to perform better,” concluded Tong.

The Asia Video Summit is proudly supported by Lead Sponsor Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Gold Sponsors BytePlus, InvestHK, INVIDI, Irdeto, Warner Brother Discovery and Silver Sponsors AsiaSat, Broadpeak, Endeavor Streaming, FashionTV, France24, Lightning, Magnite, MEASAT, Nagra, Paramount, Publica.

(1) Full release, https://bit.ly/442EnUK, with a link to the presentation on research data and methodology.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

For media enquiries and additional background information, please contact:

Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org |LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia |Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA


Topic: Press release summary

Asian and Pacific Countries Adopt Jakarta Declaration 2023-2032

Oct 24, 2022 | Business

The ‘High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Final Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities’ (HLIGM APDPD) closed on Friday (Oct 21) with 53 Asia-Pacific and 9 associated countries adopting the landmark Jakarta Declaration, marking the start of the fourth ‘Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities’.
“Today, on the last day of the high-level intragovernmental meeting in the Asia Pacific, we are adopting the Jakarta Declaration 2023-2032, which will be followed up by all members, accelerated and implemented,” said the meeting chair and Indonesian Social Affairs Minister, Tri Rismaharini (Risma).

“Through the Jakarta Declaration, we reaffirm our global commitment to a better life for all persons with disabilities,” said Risma, emphasizing the commitment of Asia Pacific countries in realizing the Incheon Strategy, initiated ten years ago. “The priority issue is an alignment of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at the level of legislation.”

“It is time to increase efforts and take affirmative steps to implement universal design in all public areas, to increase the capacity of people handling persons living with disabilities in all sectors, and conduct national breakthrough campaigns to build awareness about disability,” she said. “Harmonization of legislation is the toughest challenge for our own government, as it has central, provincial and regency/city government levels.”

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana said although the implementation of the CRPD was making progress, people with disabilities in the Asia Pacific region face obstacles in education, work, decision making, and many other aspects.

She invites UN ESCAP members to strengthen partnerships with disability organizations, the private sector, United Nations entities and the others to create a comprehensive community approach. Armida hopes that people with disabilities can participate in all policies and programs related to disability actively and significantly, in line with the spirit of ‘nothing without us about us’.

HLIGM APDPD was held on a hybrid basis from 19 – 21 October 2022 and was attended by delegates from 53 member states, 9 association member, observer countries, UN agencies, and civil society organizations.

Written by: PR Wire, Editor: PR Wire (c) ANTARA 2022
Source article at: https://en.antaranews.com/news/256377/asia-and-pacific-countries-make-jakarta-declaration-agreement

UN ESCAP member countries also underlined the importance of making strategic investments to push disability-inclusive development through a whole-society approach in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, especially organizations of persons with disabilities and private sector entities, in order to accelerate action to promote and protect the rights of persons living with disabilities.

“I encourage all participants to continue their cooperation with one another and to take all necessary steps to make the recommendations formulated during this meeting in Jakarta. Now and in the next decade, we must come together and work it out,” Rismaharini said.

The first point of the Jakarta Declaration is to harmonize national legislations with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, after the convention is ratified, by conducting a comprehensive and regular review of national legislations and appropriate regional regulations.

The second is to promote the meaningful participation of women and men with disabilities of all ages, including by closely consulting and actively involving children and youth with disabilities through their representative organizations, in planning, implementation, and decision-making on policies, programs, and political processes through reasonable accommodation.

The third point involves special attention to the special needs of persons with diverse disabilities and women, children, and elderly with disabilities to increase accessibility of the physical environment, including information and communication technology and systems, public transportation, and essential information and services related to disaster risk and public health emergencies and other public services.

The fourth is to promote the power of the private sector, including its resources, innovation, and technology talent, to push disability-inclusive development by adopting disability-inclusive public procurement policies to promote the adoption of universal design and accessibility measures for infrastructure, technology, and information and communication services that are publicly obtained.

The fifth is to promote a gender-responsive life cycle approach to develop and implement policies and programs related to disability by paying special attention to children, youth, women, and elderly people living with disabilities.

The sixth is to take action, based on information provided by competent national institutions and other recognized sources, to close the disability data gap and strengthen the capacity to track progress in disability-inclusive development at the national and subnational levels by producing comparable and qualified data as chosen by gender, age, and disability across sectors.

Written by: Devi Nindy Sari R, Resinta S, Editor: Rahmad Nasution (c) ANTARA 2022
Source article: https://en.antaranews.com/news/256205/53-asia-pacific-countries-agree-to-jakarta-declaration-on-disability






Topic: General Announcement

2-day South Asian Consultation on Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework begins

Jan 7, 2022 | Business


A two-day meeting of the South Asian Consultation Meeting on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework was held in New Delhi today.  The meeting was attended by the representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in addition to representatives from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal; the Global Environmental Facility, Washington; French Embassy in New Delhi; UNDP-India; IUCN Offices in Canada and Singapore; National Geographic, USA and Campaign for Nature; Montreal in this virtual cum real meeting.


In his address Hon’ble Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav said that South Asia with its over 1.97 billion human populations and high biological diversity face formidable developmental challenges and impediments, which are amplified by the weak socio-economic status and the presence of high natural resource dependent communities. It is also necessary that tribal and other local communities which are cultivating or doing other activities for their livelihood should be exempted from the Biological Diversity Act to find balance between development of the local community and conservation of biodiversity, he added.


He also said that Biological Diversity Act will be implemented to lay greater emphasis on the local community interest and to encourage research in the area of biodiversity to make necessary changes in policy to ensure more Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS). “We need to encourage investment for sustainable use with necessary regulation to increase ABS fund, which can be used for conservation of biodiversity and betterment of the local community”, the Minister added.


Shri Bhupender Yadav said that the country subscribe to the theory and practice of green infrastructure development and “Development with Design” particularly in the linear infrastructure sector that we build to promote economic development, conservation and connectivity.  He said conservation is mainstreamed in all sectors of economic development under the philosophy of “Development without Destruction”.


The Minister said that India has joined over 75 countries that are part of the 30 by 30 High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People. In South Asia, already Pakistan and Maldives have joined.  He urged other countries to join HAC and also requested GEF, Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and Campaign for Nature and others to ensure that timely and adequate resources for developing countries.  The Minister said that the two-day regional consultation will help in developing strategies that would feed into the global meetings of CBD planned in March, 2022 in Geneva and for the 15th Conference of Parties of the CBD in China in April-May, 2022.


In her speech, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ms. Leena Nandan said that this Convention is a milestone towards developing South Asia perspective and calls for innovative financing methods from GEF.




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HRK/PD/TK




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Hong Kong – Speech by CE at Asian Insurance Forum 2021 Opening Ceremony (English only) (with photos/video)

Dec 7, 2021 | International

Speech by CE at Asian Insurance Forum 2021 Opening Ceremony (English only) (with photos/video)

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     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Asian Insurance Forum 2021 Opening Ceremony this morning (December 7):



Deputy Director Yin Zonghua (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Moses (Chairman of the Insurance Authority, Dr Moses Cheng), Clement (Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Authority, Mr Clement Cheung), ladies and gentlemen,



     Good morning. I am delighted to speak to you, once again, at the Asian Insurance Forum, a flagship event hosted annually by the Insurance Authority. I have been participating every year since the Forum’s inauguration in 2018, including through a video speech last year when the event was held online. This year, the event is in hybrid form. I am pleased to be here in person and speak to more than 100 guests and participants, on top of the hundreds of professionals, from Asia and from around the world, who are taking in today’s event online.



     This year’s theme, “Opportunities and Challenges in the Post-Pandemic New Normal”, respond, of course, to COVID-19. I am pleased to say that Hong Kong has been doing well in controlling the pandemic, with no local infection at all for some months now. That’s thanks to the remarkable resilience and patience displayed by the Hong Kong community and is an excellent demonstration of the “can-do” spirit of Hong Kong. The stable epidemic situation has provided us with a good basis to resume normal, which makes this year’s Forum theme particularly fitting. Among the things that people want to resume, I believe that quarantine-free cross-boundary travel into the Mainland tops many people’s wish lists. While we are not yet there, I can assure you we are making good progress in our talks with the Mainland authorities, and I do hope to bring you good news pretty soon.



     Beyond cross-boundary travel, it is time to adopt a forward-looking perspective, time to focus on the post-pandemic economy and the boundless prospects it will offer us. My 2021 Policy Address delivered on October 6 includes a chapter entitled “New Impetus to the Economy: Integration into the National Development”. In it, I emphasise that the development of Hong Kong is inextricably linked to that of our nation, that by embracing the Central Government’s policies in support of Hong Kong, we can take full advantage of our unique capabilities. And with these, and the support of our country, we can find the flourishing future we all want.

 

     The National 14th Five-Year Plan promotes our strengthening as an international financial centre and a global risk-management centre under the nation’s “dual-circulation” development strategy. As I see it, this is also a golden opportunity for our insurance industry to grow, to take advantage of the bountiful prospects there for Hong Kong and for you. 

 

     This morning’s opening panel discussion will focus on China’s dual-circulation economic strategy and Hong Kong’s place in it. Our positioning in the strategy reflects our central role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. With a population of some 86 million and a combined GDP of about US$1.7 trillion, the Greater Bay Area is an ideal entry into the Mainland’s domestic loop. After all, the fast-emerging bay area development will enable the unimpeded flow of people, goods and capital throughout the nine Mainland cities and the two special administrative regions.

 

     The insurance industry has an essential role to play in realising the vision of the Greater Bay Area. Mitigating risks is at the heart of the insurance profession. And in doing so, you will help ease the minds of those planning to live, study and work in the Greater Bay Area. Insurance creates confidence, too, in our entrepreneurs looking to the Greater Bay Area for their future.

 

     To help you seize the far-reaching opportunities of the Greater Bay Area, my Government has been working in concert with the Insurance Authority to establish after-sales service centres in co-operation with our Mainland and Macao counterparts. This is the breakthrough that everyone in the insurance industry has been longing for, and I can understand that expectations have been further raised following the formal launch of Wealth Management Connect in September. As the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), I would try my best to give it a further push. The pandemic has amply demonstrated the practical value of such after-sales centres, for they will do away with the need for Greater Bay Area policyholders to come to Hong Kong for their customer support.

 

     We are also preparing for the introduction of the unilateral recognition policy. This will allow third-party insurance coverage for Hong Kong vehicles entering Guangdong Province via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, something which is set to be in huge demand after we have overcome the pandemic. There is also the possibility of developing cross-boundary health policies and other innovative insurance products. These could be of great benefit to those who regularly travel to and from the Greater Bay Area.

 

     Looking a bit further than the Greater Bay Area, there is opportunity too in assisting Mainland enterprises planning to expand overseas. The Central Government has announced that it supports Hong Kong in providing insurance and reinsurance services for large infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. It also backs Mainland enterprises looking to set up captives in Hong Kong to enhance their corporate risk-management systems. The prospects are enormous, and I encourage the insurance industry to take advantage of them by advancing your participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, while contributing to national development.

 

     The Insurance Authority, let me add, has put together a Specialty Risks Consortium. It is created to help match risk owners in the Mainland with professional service providers around the world. The Consortium has attracted 38 members. They’re companies and captives, insurers, brokers and risk advisers, and they’re creating tailor-made solutions for big-ticket investment projects in emerging markets. The Authority is also partnering with the Mainland’s Assets Supervision and Administration Commission to identify entities interested in forming captives or risk-management centres in Hong Kong.

 

     Beyond opportunities arising from our country’s development, the global challenge of climate change will also have an impact on the insurance industry. The COP26 United Nations Climate Conference, which concluded last month in Glasgow, Scotland, keeps alive the Paris Agreement. The Glasgow Climate Pact, the outcome document of the Conference agreed by the nearly 200 countries that took part, maintains the hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

 

     While Hong Kong is small in size, we are determined to play our part in combating climate change. My Government has pledged that we will reach carbon neutrality before the year 2050 in my Policy Address last November. And this year, soon after my 2021 Policy Address, the Secretary for the Environment has released Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 and we have set for ourselves a midterm goal of 2035, at which time we hope to reduce carbon emission by 50 per cent as compared to the base year of 2005.

 

     While it is important to reduce carbon emission, Hong Kong can contribute much more by leveraging our strengths as an international financial centre. I am pleased to note that the Insurance Authority is participating in the Green and Sustainable Finance Cross-Agency Steering Group, under which government bureaux and financial regulators collaborate to bolster Hong Kong’s position as a leader in green and sustainable finance and help transition the financial ecosystem towards carbon neutrality. The Insurance Authority is also developing a multi-pronged approach for the insurance industry’s contribution. Initiatives will include public advocacy and education, corporate disclosures, risk advisory and modelling, product innovation and impact investment.

 

     The development of insurance-linked securities is another illustration of how the insurance industry can play a meaningful role in the fight against climate change by helping manage the risks involved. In his welcome remarks, Moses touched on the growing impact of climate change, both around the world and right here in Hong Kong. The escalating frequency of extreme weather events, the rapid pace of urbanisation and rising volatility of financial markets have pumped up the demand for insurance-linked securities as a means of managing natural disasters and their fallout.

 

     In May, riding on an endorsement from the Central Government, my Government put in place a dedicated regulatory framework and pilot subsidy scheme to promote Hong Kong’s development as a centre for insurance-linked securities. In October, we issued our inaugural catastrophe bond in Hong Kong. That landmark achievement was realised through a Special Purpose Insurer, aptly named “Greater Bay Re”. Given that most instruments currently on offer are underpinned by catastrophic risks in North America and the Oceanic region, enormous potential exists within the Greater Bay Area. I trust that the inaugural catastrophe bond will mark the beginning of our journey to nurturing a vibrant insurance-linked securities ecosystem in Hong Kong, and will for sure attract top talents in this area to join us here. Meanwhile, nurturing of local talents for the insurance sector remains a priority of my Government. I am glad to note that under the Pilot Programme to Enhance Talent Training for the Insurance Sector implemented by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, over 7 300 insurance practitioners have participated in quality training courses organised by industry associations since August 2016, whereas about 370 university students have completed internships in insurance companies and insurance broker companies. We look forward to continuing co-operation with the industry in enhancing the talent pool to fuel sustainable market growth.

 

     Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong has overcome unprecedented challenges over the past two years. Today, “One Country, Two Systems”, the fundamental element for Hong Kong’s success, is back on the right track, and we are entering a new era, one of great promise and opportunity – for our economy and for our community. That’s thanks to two significant initiatives by the Central Government, namely the enactment and implementation of the National Security Law in June last year and the improvement to the Hong Kong SAR’s electoral system this year. Speaking of the latter, we will soon be holding the Legislation Council General Election in less than two weeks’ time. I would appeal to all registered voters here to cast your vote on December 19, to demonstrate your confidence in the improved electoral system, and in Hong Kong’s future.

 

     Finally, I would take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the insurance industry for offering relief for policyholders when economic activities were most severely curtailed and, more recently, for actively promoting the COVID-19 vaccination programme. I look forward to the industry’s continued support, particularly in our work to promote Hong Kong as a global risk-management centre. I have every confidence in your ability to reach new heights and, in doing so, help create a rewarding future for us all.

 

     I know you will enjoy today’s Asian Insurance Forum. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and the best of health and happiness in the New Year. Thank you very much.