The 49th General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) has opened in Seoul. The week-long event is being jointly hosted by the ABU and the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS).

The ABU general assembly, the largest media event in the region, will draw 220 broadcasters from 60 countries under the theme of “Beyond the Wave.”

As the first major event of the assembly, American actress and film producer Geena Davis spoke at a women’s media forum at the 63 Convention Center in Seoul as a keynote speaker. She stressed the importance of broadcasting’s role in promoting gender equality.

The women’s media forum will address ways for broadcasters to promote women’s interests and rights as well as reduce the information gap between men and women in various programs, including news, dramas and documentaries.

Also during the assembly, representatives from top global broadcasters, including BBC and NHK, will discuss possible changes that the media sector could face in the future.

The assembly will end next Wednesday with the adoption of a “Seoul Declaration” that will include values that Asian broadcasting firms should pursue amid the fast-changing media environment.