From September 7th to 8th, 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council Asia-Pacific Regional Forum of the 14th Session of the Forum on Minority Issues was held via video conferencing. Beijing Women’s Federation joined the conference online and delivered a keynote speech on the topic “Promoting Women's Development and Empowerment in Ethnic Minority Regions.”

According to Li Yue, Director of Beijing Women’s International Center, Beijing Women’s Federation won’t “leave any sister behind” and has built collaboration and assistance relationships with women’s groups in Xinjiang, Tibet and other ethnic minority areas. The federation helps local ethnic minority women to improve their economic status and ability to participate in social governance through skills training, education funding, environmental construction and cultural integration, striving to achieve harmony among ethnic groups. The presentation was well recognized and highly appreciated by the foreign experts at the meeting, receiving positive responses.

The Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on the topic “Conflict Prevention and the Protection of the Human Rights of Minorities” was convened by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues. The outcome of the forum will be translated into a practical report to support the upcoming 14th session of the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva. Regional representatives from the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as government representatives, experts and scholars from China, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, the Philippines and other countries attended the meeting.