Speech by SCMA at Equal Opportunities Commission's 15th Anniversary Celebration on Implementation of Race Discrimination Ordinance cum Celebration of International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination - Appreciation Event with Community Stakeholders (English only)
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Linda (Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission, Ms Linda Lam), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to join you all today to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the implementation of the Race Discrimination Ordinance with the EOC.
Hong Kong is a culturally diverse metropolis, and we have a unique bridging role between the Mainland and the world. We are home to people of many different ethnicities and origin, including over 300 000 non-ethnic Chinese residents as well as 400 000 foreign domestic helpers. Still more talents and tourists visiting Hong Kong every day.
To effectively perform our roles and functions as "super connector" and "super value-adder", we always seek to ensure people of all ethnicities enjoy equal opportunities in different aspects of life. First and foremost, the Government leads by example. As the largest employer in Hong Kong, the civil service has strived to enhance employment opportunities for ethnic minorities; over fifty civil service grades have reviewed and adjusted their Chinese-language proficiency requirements to give more opportunities to non-ethnic Chinese applicants to join the civil service.
The Government also strives to promote equal opportunities in the private sectors and the community. To name a few, the Labour Department's Racial Diversity Employment Programme provide customised employment support services to ethnic minority job seekers. The Education Bureau works with educational establishments at all levels to step up learning support for non-Chinese speaking students, to enhance their proficiency in Chinese, to provide them with a better learning experience, and to smoothen their transition from school to the workplace. In addition, ten Ethnic Minority Care Teams and two new support service centres were set up under the Home Affairs Department's new Care Teams programme. They enhance support and provide holistic services to ethnic minorities, including language tutorials and community integration workshops. All these underline the Government's commitment to building an equal, inclusive, and harmonious society.
Today, we join together to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Race Discrimination Ordinance, which came into full operation in 2009. I would like to thank the Commission for serving as a staunch partner of the Government in promoting equal opportunities for all races and ethnicities. Over the years, the Commission has worked unfailingly to foster respect,diversity, and inclusion as core values of our community. This is highlighted by a series of celebratory events last year, including most notably the first Racial Diversity and Inclusion Sports Day and Racial Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment Fair. I'd like to invite you to join me in congratulating the Commission's achievements, and wish them further success in the years to come.
Thank you.
Ends/Saturday, April 12, 2025
Issued at HKT 17:13
Issued at HKT 17:13
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