Miss Alice Mak Advocates Women's Economic Empowerment at APEC Forum in Shanghai

SHYA attends APEC Women and Economy Forum in Shanghai

The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women and the Economy Forum in Shanghai today (May 15). Promoting high-quality development of women's cause is a shared responsibility of the international community. In her speeches at the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy and the panel discussion under the Public-Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy, Miss Mak clearly stated that empowering women is one of the key policy priorities of the current-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. She also encouraged member economies participating in the forum to foster women's development together.

The theme of the 2026 APEC Women and the Economy Forum is "Promoting Women's Economic Empowerment to Prosper Together in the Asia-Pacific". Member economies engaged in exchanges and discussions on key issues such as women's participation in digital and smart development, green and low-carbon development, as well as employment and entrepreneurship.

Miss Mak attended the High-Level Policy Dialogue this morning. She noted in her speech that the country held the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing in 2025 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women. Carrying forward the spirit of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the HKSAR Government has proactively responded to the proposals put forward by President Xi Jinping in the meeting, and has been creating more opportunities for the high-quality development of the women's cause. Relevant measures include the establishment of the Women Empowerment Fund in 2023, which has approved over 450 projects with a total funding allocation of over $66 million to date to support organisations in carrying out non-profit projects that facilitate women in developing their potential; the launch of the "She Inspires" Mentorship Programme, which pairs local female university students with women leaders as mentors to provide guidance on their career planning; and the organisation of the Hong Kong Family and Women Development Summit, which brings together leaders responsible for relevant policies, representatives of international organisations and stakeholders to share experiences on women's development and rights.

Miss Mak said, "As Hong Kong, China continues to navigate economic transformation, the HKSAR Government echoes the four proposals raised by President Xi at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in advancing women's all-round development and is committed to turning these proposals into actions. We stand ready to collaborate with fellow APEC economies in championing women's economic empowerment, so that the progress we make today will lay the foundation for a more inclusive and prosperous tomorrow."

Miss Mak also participated as a guest speaker in the panel discussion on "Advancing Economic and Trade Cooperation" under the Public-Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy in the afternoon. She stated that apart from implementing measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises and facilitate trade, the HKSAR Government is also committed to creating favourable conditions for women to fully participate in regional trade and economic co-operation.

Miss Mak reiterated that the HKSARGovernment'sefforts in promoting women's development fully demonstrated the Government's determination to enhance women's participation in economic and trade affairs. She encouraged APEC member economies to work together to promote women's development and jointly build a prosperous Asia-Pacific region.

The Chairperson of the Women's Commission, Dr Eliza Chan, attended the forum's related activities with the delegation. She spoke on the topic "Empowering Women in the Green Transition for a Sustainable Asia-Pacific" at the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy meeting yesterday (May 14).

Miss Mak will conduct visits to Shanghai tomorrow (May 16) to exchange views on the work of the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong in promoting women's development and family building initiatives.

Source: AI-found images

SHYA attends APEC Women and Economy Forum in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends APEC Women and Economy Forum in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends APEC Women and Economy Forum in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends APEC Women and Economy Forum in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends APEC Women and Economy Forum in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends APEC Women and Economy Forum in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SHYA attends APEC Women and Economy Forum in Shanghai Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

Office of The Ombudsman holds learning and exchange session to enhance alignment with National 15th Five-Year Plan

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

The Hong Kong International Ombudsman Academy (HKIOA) under the Office of The Ombudsman today (May 15) held a learning and exchange session on the National 15th Five-Year Plan for investigation and administrative staff of the Office. The session aimed to deepen staff members' understanding of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and explore how their work can be aligned with and integrated into the Plan.

During the session, the Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, noted, "This year marks the launch of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan. With the steadfast support from the motherland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) must proactively align itself with and integrate into the overall national development strategy, while giving full play to its unique advantage of maintaining close connections with both the motherland and the world. President Xi Jinping has put forward 'four musts' and 'four proposals' for Hong Kong to provide a solid foundation and practical guidance for the implementation of 'one country, two systems', covering priorities such as implementing the principle of 'patriots administering Hong Kong' and enhancing governance standards. As the independent watchdog of public administration in Hong Kong, our Office has consistently adhered to fulfilling its duties with professionalism. We are also committed to driving reform and innovation, while continually reflecting on how our work can better align with national development."

Since assuming office on April 1, 2024, Mr Chan has embraced the spirit of innovation and reform, and guided his staff in gaining a deeper understanding of national affairs and learning from the country's development experience. While fulfilling the Office's supervisory functions, Mr Chan has led it to proactively align with the overarching development strategies under the 15th Five-Year Plan and the integration initiatives of the HKSAR Government, with a view to enhancing public well-being and contributing to Hong Kong's enduring prosperity and stability. To enhance the quality of public administration and governance effectiveness, Mr Chan has championed three strategic focuses: first, making effective use of mediation mechanisms to swiftly resolve conflicts and reduce the internal friction caused by disputes within society; second, promoting inter-departmental communication and collaboration to enhance overall governance standards; and third, cultivating a positive complaint culture by encouraging all sectors of society to engage constructively with social issues, and advocating that government departments and public organisations respond to feedback with open-mindedness, thereby promoting good governance.

Furthermore, the Office has established the HKIOA as a professional training platform to promote the concept of maladministration prevention among public officers, and to encourage them to adopt innovative thinking in responding to new circumstances, turn opportunities arising from national development into real benefits for the public, and genuinely ease the everyday hardships people face. The HKIOA has also set up Mainland and international exchange platforms and organised diverse activities to promote cross-regional sharing of knowledge and experience.

Under the "one country, two systems" framework, the Office has actively expanded international and regional cooperation. On the domestic front, the Office has strengthened ties and collaboration in overseeing public administration with the Mainland and the Macao Special Administrative Region. For instance, the Office received delegations from discipline inspection commissions of several Mainland provinces and cities, and a delegation from Macao. On the external front, the Office hosted the first International Ombudsman Summit in December 2024, gathering representatives of ombudsman institutions worldwide in Hong Kong for exchanges. Memoranda of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation were signed with several international ombudsman institutions to reinforce long-term partnerships. The Office will advance these efforts by co-ordinating the celebration of the Asian Ombudsman Association's 30th anniversary and an international forum as well as hosting the 27th meeting of its Board of Directors later this year, to further strengthen ties and co-operation with international and regional counterparts and showcase Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world.

In addition, the Office stands firmly with the HKSAR Government in safeguarding national security and provides ongoing training to reinforce staff commitment and heighten their awareness of its importance. Mr Chan has set an example by proactively supporting and participating in national security initiatives such as the National Security Education Day, the National Security Legal Forum, and the 5th Anniversary of Promulgation and Implementation of Hong Kong National Security Law Forum. In full support of the comprehensive implementation of the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", the Office formed an election task force last year to promote the 2025 Legislative Council General Election and ensure sound and stable electoral operations.

Mr Chan emphasised, "The 15th Five-Year Plan has charted the course for national development over the coming five years. Our Office fully supports the HKSAR Government in formulating Hong Kong's first five-year plan, seeking to open new horizons for high-quality development, strengthen integration with and service to the overall national development, and contribute to building a stronger country." He reminded and encouraged staff that beyond their investigation duties, they should consider how their work can align with the country's overall development strategy. Upholding reform and innovation as core values, he pledged to lead all his staff in strengthening supervisory functions and advancing institutional reform and enhancement. At the same time, the Office will work to ease conflicts and grievances, foster social harmony, and drive high-quality development, thereby playing a more active role in the overall national development.

Source: AI-found images