Youth Development Summit in Hong Kong Connects Over 3,000 Participants to Foster Global Perspectives and Collaboration.

2025-09-27 17:50 Last Updated At：17:58

Youth Development Summit · Hong Kong Connects the World into the Future

The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) today (September 27) hosted the second edition of the Youth Development Summit · Hong Kong. Under the theme "Connecting the World into the Future", the Summit has gathered officials responsible for youth policies from various regions, alongside experts and leaders of different sectors as guest speakers. The Summit attracted over 3000 young people registered to participate, including around 600 of them from the Chinese Mainland and 33 overseas countries such as the United States, Malaysia, Laos, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which enabled them to exchange views and engage in mutual learning on issues of concern to young people.

Click to Gallery

Youth Development Summit · Hong Kong Connects the World into the Future Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

More Images

Youth Development Summit · Hong Kong Connects the World into the Future Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, officiated at the Summit. In his opening remarks, he said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to youth. Our Youth Development Blueprint, released in late 2022, outlines our guiding principles for advancing youth development, as well as charting a clear pathway for stakeholders everywhere. Our vision is to nurture a new generation of youth equipped with a global perspective, a positive thinking mindset, and an affection for our city and our country. Since the release of the Blueprint, more than 250 concrete actions and measures have been put forward to providing young people with wide-ranging opportunities and support."

Mr Chan thanked all the speakers who shared their experiences and visionary ideas, inspiring the participants from around the world to think about how they can foster stronger connections across boundaries and cultures to help and learn from each other to build a better future together. He also encouraged young participants to make good use of the Summit as a platform to exchange ideas with young people from different regions to develop innovative solutions, and to turn bold ideas into tangible impact.

At the morning's keynote session on "Youth Creativity Energy", key officials responsible for youth development policies from various regions were invited to share insights on the importance of connecting young people around the world in driving social development, as well as policies and initiatives in different regions that aim at nurturing talent, fostering innovation, and encouraging active youth engagement. Keynote speakers included the President of All-China Youth Federation, Mr Xu Xiao; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Minister of Youth and Sports, Malaysia, Ms Hannah Yeoh; the Deputy Minister of Society Development at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr Ahmed Saleh AlMajed; the Deputy Secretary General of the Central Committee, Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union, Mr Souliya Keophilavong; the Vice Minister of Culture and Information, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr Yevgeniy Kochetov; and the Deputy Director-General, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Dr Qu Xing.

Miss Mak delivered a keynote speech at the Summit and shared the vision of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region Government in deepening international exchanges and co-operation, and highlighted key Government measures and initiatives on youth development which broaden local young people's horizon and encourage them to share the good stories of Hong Kong youth.

Miss Mak said, the Government has been taking forward measures in the Youth Development Blueprint at full steam to provide more Chinese Mainland and overseas exchange opportunities for Hong Kong young people to strengthen their global perspective. She wished that young people would work together to unlock endless possibilities for a brighter future of Hong Kong, the country and the world.

The afternoon featured three thematic sessions. The first session, chaired by the Vice-President of All-China Youth Federation and the Vice-Chairman of Youth Development Commission, Mr Kenneth Leung, was themed "Digital Reform · InnoTech of the Future". The panelists, including the Director-General of Investment Promotion of Invest Hong Kong, Ms Alpha Lau; the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Vidi Labs Ltd, Ms Lamia Sreya Rahman; the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Wang Fei-Yue; and the Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Terry Wong, explored how technological innovation can drive economic growth and sustainable development in the digital era, aiming to inspire young people to embrace innovation and harness technology.

The Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho, was the moderator of the next session titled "Cross Cultural Creativity". Leaders from different sectors, including the Global Operations Director of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation, Mr Edwin Kibuthu Kimani; the Founder of Bakehouse, Mr Grégoire Michaud; and the Chairman of the Board of Ocean Park Corporation, Mr Paulo Pong, explored development trends in integrating traditional culture with the creative industry, aiming to inspire creative thinking among youth and create new opportunities for the younger generation.

The final thematic session "Unleash Potential and Positivity" was hosted by the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung. He was joined by former Captain of China Women's National Volleyball Team and Associate Professor of the School of Sports Science and Physical Education, Nanjing Normal University, Professor Hui Ruoqi; former F1 Racer and Director, Head of Private Office of Knight Frank Greater China, Mr Tung Ho-Pin; the Gold Medalist of 1 000m Speed Skating at Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 and the Head of the Olympic Studies Centre, Harbin Institute of Technology, Professor Zhang Hong. They delved into the importance of positive thinking and a proactive mindset, inspiring young people to cultivate a positive attitude towards life and fully realise their potential.

In addition to the above sessions, starting yesterday (September 26), the HYAB has arranged a three-day thematic visit programme and exchange activities to enhance the participants from the Chinese Mainland and overseas in understanding Hong Kong's latest development in technological innovation, culture and arts, and to provide them with an opportunity to exchange and interact with the local youth. The YDC Youth Ambassadors and the Youth Link Committee members served as the ambassadors of the programme, alongside over 400 Summit participants in exploring Hong Kong. The activities will foster cross-regional interaction and collaboration among young people, showcase the charm and vibrancy of the city, and tell the world the good stories of Hong Kong Youth.

Prior to the opening of the Summit, Mr Chan hosted a welcome dinner yesterday for officials, guests and speakers from the Chinese Mainland and overseas who came to Hong Kong to participate in the event.

For the highlights of the Summit, please visit the thematic webpage, www.youthfest.hk/en/summit.

Hong Kong's Deputy Secretary for Justice Addresses Human Rights Council, Defends National Security Law and Legal System.

Remarks by DSJ at 61st session of United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva

The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, today (March 18, Geneva time) finished attending the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Joining him for the meeting were representatives of the Department of Justice, the Security Bureau and the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau. Officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attended the meeting as members of the Chinese delegation.

Following are the remarks by Dr Cheung at the session.

Agenda item 4 general debate on human rights situations that require the Council's attention

Mr President,

The implementation of the National Security Law has successfully safeguarded national sovereignty and security, and ensured long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, China.

It is every sovereign state's inherent right to enact national security laws. China is no exception. For example, the United Kingdom has at least 14 pieces of national security legislation, including the sweeping National Security Act of 2023.It is hypocritical of any country to demand another country to repeal its own national security law and leave it defenseless.

Jimmy Lai's case was mentioned yesterday. I am obliged to point out that he was defended by a team of lawyers of his own choice and received a fair trial for his offences endangering national security. The court's verdict and sentence were published with detailed reasons, for which he chose not to appeal. Lai has received appropriate treatment in custody and never made any complaint. Any suggestion that certain individuals should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts totally runs contrary to the spirit of the rule of law.

All in all, we oppose the biased allegations concerning Hong Kong's situation, which have ignored the objective facts demonstrating our remarkable achievements.

Mr President, let me share with you some figures. Last year, Hong Kong was ranked the world's freest economy, No.1 in global IPO(initial public offering) market rankings, and No.1 as Asia's largest hedge fund hub and cross-boundary wealth management centre.

The common law system of Hong Kong is internationally renowned. Hong Kong was ranked the second-most preferred seat of arbitration worldwide last year. The Judiciary exercises judicial power independently, fairly, impartially and openly. Judgments of the Court of Final Appeal were cited as persuasive authorities in overseas common law jurisdictions on close to 50 occasions in the past six years.

These are testaments to the trust and confidence that businesses and people have in the freedom, stability and the rule of law of Hong Kong.

We will continue to safeguard national security and protect legitimate rights and interests of all individuals. Thank you, Mr President.

Agenda item 5 general debate on human rights bodies and mechanism

Mr Vice-President,

China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is committed to engaging in constructive dialogue and co-operation on human rights issues within the UN framework on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

The human rights of Hong Kong residents are constitutionally guaranteed and protected under the National Security Law. The provisions of the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) as applied to Hong Kong are incorporated in local law.

Human rights protection is further underpinned by the rule of law and the Judiciary which acts impartially and independently.

Since the enactment of the National Security Law over fiveyears ago, prosecutions for national security offences constituted less than 0.2 per cent of all criminal proceedings.

We note that the representative of the Netherlands mentioned Chow Hang-tung's case. We urge member states to respect the rule of law and refrain from interfering with on-going legal proceedings in Hong Kong's court.

We are firmly committed as ever to the protection of human rights and always seek to make improvements based on actual circumstances. Thank you.

Youth Development Summit in Hong Kong Connects Over 3,000 Participants to Foster Global Perspectives and Collaboration.

HK