The 57th ABU General Assembly, as organised by the Asia - Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), kicked off on December 15 in an online format due to complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acting president of the ABU Ibrahim Eren addresses the event

Addressing the event, Ibrahim Eren, acting president of the ABU, noted this year’s General Assembly, themed “Media in time of crisis: Creativity and Innovation for multiplatform”, offered participants the chance to improve their skills and general quality in the context of COVID-19.

The event will allow ABU members to exchange experiences on how to combat the COVID 19 pandemic, including solutions for rearranging operations, working from home, and launching educational broadcast channels, said Eren.

The ABU General Assembly 2020 is taking place from Dec. 15-17 with a number of content and technical meetings, including those of the ABU Sports Group, Programme and Technical Committees, the Women with the Wave Forum, the Quality Management Workshop, as well as sessions of governance bodies.

Delegates are scheduled to endorse conclusions made at the plenary session of the 56th ABU General Assembly held in Japan in 2019. They will consider and approve the ABU’s new initiatives and budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

In a speech delivered at the meeting, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen The Ky, president of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), extended his invitation to ABU members to attend next year’s General Assembly to be hosted by VOV from Oct. 25-30.

 “The 58th ABU General Assembly is expected to be a landmark international event in the post-COVID-19 period,” Ky said.

He went on to stress that VOV will keep the logo as it highlights the nation’s cultural identity as part of the 58th General Assembly.

According to the VOV President, the logo combines aspects of national culture, such as the Vietnamese lotus and the Lac bird, a typical motif shown on the nation’s ancient bronze drum. The logo’s primary colours are pink and purple of the lotus flower, with the flying Lac bird symbolising strong efforts of the media to soar above the current crisis.

VOV was scheduled to host the 57th ABU General Assembly, but the event was eventually held in the online format due to the complicated nature of the COVID-19 and immigration regulations tightening in many countries globally.

Founded in 1964, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union is a non-profit, professional association of broadcasting organisations. It currently has 256 members in 69 countries and regions, reaching a potential audience of approximately 3 billion people.

Since joining the organization in 1964, VOV has strived in recent years to improve its role within the group, winning various plaudits from international friends. It has held a variety of important ABU events, including the ABU General Assembly 2005 (together with Vietnam Television), HD-Radio 2009, as well as some regional conferences and training courses.