*********************************************************
Following is the full text of the speech given by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, at the opening ceremony of the International Association for Impact Assessment Conference 2000 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this (June 20) morning:
Dr Liao, Professor Bryan, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to Hong Kong. I am pleased that the Association has chosen Hong Kong as a host for this millennium conference. This is truly an international event, with over 600 delegates from no less than 80 countries or territories. I am sure you will feel at home here in Hong Kong, where East meets the West, and diverse views and experiences are freely shared and exchanged. I hope, too, that you will have time to experience the greener side of Hong Kong.
Actually behind our stunning skyline you will find tranquil walking paths and country parks - in fact, just 10-minutes in a cab ride from here will transport you to a lush, green oasis cascading down from The Peak.
Before I turn to the main points of my speech, I would like to bring you up to date about how Hong Kong has been moving ahead as a Special Administrative Region of China. In just 11 days, we will be celebrating the 3rd anniversary of the return of Hong Kong. And during these past three years we have had to face many challenges, but two of them were major- one was how to make 'One Country, Two Systems' a success; the other was how to deal with the fallout and impact of the financial turmoil which spread all across Asia in 1997 and 1998.
You can see for yourselves that the 'One Country, Two Systems' concept has been successfully transformed into a reality here in Hong Kong. Hong Kong people are running Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy stipulated by our own constitutional document, the Basic Law. The rule of law and the independence of the judiciary have been upheld and the way of life and the freedom we've enjoyed have been maintained.
Economically, the past 12 months have seen a revival of fortunes for Hong Kong after two very difficult years. GDP grew at 9.2% in the fourth quarter of 1999 and a remarkable 14.3% in the first quarter of 2000. We are forecasting growth of over 6% for this particular year. So, we are emerging strongly from the Asian financial crisis and laying the foundations for renewed and sustained growth in the years ahead.
I mention the word 'sustained' because it encompasses more than just economic dimension. An important part of that equation is assuring that Hong Kong continues to be an attractive place to live and work as well as an international hub for trading, commerce and finance. And to achieve this we will continue to do our best to provide a world class transport and telecommunication infrastructure and to improve our education and manpower training, but in particular we will need to do more, and a lot more, to improve the quality of our living environment.
Over the past decade, continuing economic and population growth in China and in neighbouring Guangdong have placed great pressures on the environment. Air pollution, sewage treatment and solid waste management are major problems that face all communities. The challenge is even more difficult in tiny Hong Kong, with a population of close to seven million in an area of about 1,100 square kilometres. To give you some perspective, we have twice the population of Los Angeles, in less than half of their space or land.
It is not enough to simply address environmental problems as they arise. We must ensure that we pre-empt environmental problems by considering them up-front, hand-in-hand with policy making and infrastructural development at the initial planning stages.
A major stride forward for Hong Kong came in 1998 with the implementation of our Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance. Since then more than HK$170 billion (or US$22 billion) worth of projects have gone through rigorous assessment mechanisms to ensure that environmental and ecological impacts are fully considered. This is a demanding process. It is also open and transparent and involves community input.
As a further step, from next year, all major government policies and strategic proposals will be subject to sustainability impact assessments. This will ensure that decision-makers address a wide range of consequences - economic, social and environmental - before proposals are finalised and implemented. This will help ensure an improved quality of life for our children and future generations.
Supporting these two important long-term measures is a host of initiatives announced in the past two years to improve the environment in Hong Kong. My annual Policy Address last year was essentially a 'green speech'. It set out the aims and objectives of how we intend to go about tackling our pollution problems including reduced vehicle emissions, improved sewage collection and disposal, and the promotion of solid waste reduction and recycling. More recently, we announced further measures including strengthening enforcement action and the introduction of ultra low sulphur diesel oil, among other things, that will help us greatly to improve the air quality in Hong Kong. A lot more needs to be done, and it may take some years to get these things done. But I am sure with the support of the community and the determination of this Government and many groups who have the heart in improving our environment, we will get it done. I believe we have demonstrated that when we come to improving the environment, the government means business. The community means business, and everyone in Hong Kong means business.
Hong Kong has set its sights on becoming a world city in Asia. It is a goal I firmly believe to be well within our grasp. But we must ensure that sustainable, environmentally friendly development goes hand-in-hand with economic growth. Our aim is to make Hong Kong a model for environmental improvement and a greening agent for this region. It is a great challenge. But we are rising to that challenge and I am confident that our responses will add to the reasons why people from around the world will visit and enjoy this city in the new century.
This mid-year conference "Back to the Future" provides us with an excellent opportunity to tap into the wealth of international experience in sustainable development. It will help us gain a deeper understanding of how to make our city cleaner and greener. And, of course, we will be happy to share our own experiences in dealing with the challenges of rapid economic development within the confines of such a small area.
Finally, I was very pleased to hear that Mr Elvis Au from our Environmental Protection Department has recently been voted as President-elect to serve and lead the Association in the next three years. Congratulations, Elvis, but a lot of work needs to be done.
I would like to wish you all a very successful conference. I hope you have a happy and enjoyable stay here in Hong Kong. And I most certainly hope that you will come back to see us again and again.
Thank you.
Photo: The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, officiated at the opening ceremony of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) Conference 2000 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Also present at the Conference, which was the first time being held by the IAIA in Hong Kong, included (from right) IAIA's President, Professor Hobson Bryan; the Director of Division for Sustainable Development, the Department of Economic & Social Affairs, United Nations, Ms JoAnne DiSano and Secretary for the Environment & Food Bureau of HKSAR, Mrs Lily Yam. Picture shows Mr Tung delivering a speech at the ceremony.
End/Tuesday, June 20, 2000
NNNN