The Shanghai Forum, sponsored by Fudan University and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, kicked off Saturday at Shanghai International Convention Center with the theme “Asia's Responsibility in a World of Change.”

Shamshad Akhtr, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, said in the keynote speech that the world faces risks of fraction with a widening gap between the rich and the poor, increasing crises and disasters and other challenges.

Despite the spectacular economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, she pointed out some issues that the region needs to address in the future, such as regional stability as well as energy supply and reform. Other concerns include unequal opportunities and an ageing population, she said.