The International Communication Forum: Towards a Fairer, Safer World, organized by Friday Culture Limited and the Hong Kong Coalition, was held recently at Runnovation in Hong Kong. Guests of honor included Mr. Lee Ka Chiu John (Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR), Mr. Lu Xinning (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR), and Mr. Yang Yirui (Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong SAR). In addition, Mrs. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee (Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong SAR), Dr. Herman Hu (Chairman of Friday Culture Limited), and Dr. Kennedy Wong (Deputy Secretary General of the Hong Kong Coalition) also attended the forum.
Mr. Lee Ka Chiu John delivered the keynote speech and stated that the theme of the forum - Towards a Fairer, Safer World - was well thought out. Fairness, security, and the rule of law are important values cherished and protected by the principle of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong. Hong Kong remains an open, safe, vibrant, and business-friendly cosmopolitan city. The city is now back on track with the "one country, two systems" policy. This policy is unique and innovative. It ensures that Hong Kong can be connected to the world while receiving strong support from the motherland. We are all ready to make a greater contribution to our country.
The forum consisted of two panel discussions. The first panel, entitled Achieving Fairness in a Polarised World, was moderated by Mr. Patrick Tsang, CEO of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd. Ms. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, Convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong SAR, Mr. Amr Elhenawy, Consul General of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Hong Kong, Mr. Chandran Nair, Founder of the Global Institute for Tomorrow, and Mr. Chan Hiu-fung, Director of AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre, shared their views.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, more and more people around the world have become aware of their need for safety. People are facing security issues such as starvation, rising crime rates, inflation, job security, and geopolitical tensions. The world is also facing serious climate and environmental problems, such as rising sea levels, increased catastrophic weather incidents, and coastal flooding and drought.
Many efforts have been made around the world to make the world fairer. Fairness does not mean distributing resources equally, but giving everyone a fair and non-discriminatory opportunity. The resourceful should take the lead and share more with the less fortunate. Then, everyone will have the opportunity to benefit from the global community.
The second panel, entitled Safety, from Individual to Global Perspectives, was moderated by Professor Witman Hung, a member of the Global Council of the World Summit Award. Mr. Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan, Deputy Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government, Mr. Yang Mengyang, Executive General Manager of the Capital Management Department of CICC, Dr. William Yu, CEO of the World Green Organisation, and Mr. Laurie Pearcey, former CEO of the Australia China Business Council and Associate Vice-President for External Engagement and Outreach of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, shared their views.
After the second panel discussion, participants said there was global recognition of the safety and security challenges at the individual and national levels, as well as at many other levels. People should communicate more to better understand and respect each other. It would be a good start to identify, understand, and acknowledge these security issues.
A fair and safer world requires more communication and dialogue, and today's forum is a successful step towards that goal," concluded Dr. Kennedy Wong, Deputy Secretary General of the Hong Kong Coalition, at the end of the forum.
