SFST's speech at Fondation de France Asia second edition of signature's Night for Philanthropy (English only)
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Deputy Consul General Hubin (Deputy Consul-General of France, Mr Benjamin Hubin), Mrs Axelle Davezac (Chief Executive Officer of the Fondation de France), Dr Andrew Yuen (Ambassador of the Fondation de France Asia), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. I am most delighted to join you at tonight's Night for Philanthropy, and my thanks to the Fondation de France Asia (Foundation) for your kind invitation so that I can share the joy and great spirit of this meaningful and exceptional event.
Further to our celebration of the Foundation's establishment in Hong Kong in July last year, I am sure we are all excited to gather again tonight to rejoice the stronger ties between France and Hong Kong, under the banner of the common good, while enjoying the wonderful arts, culture, food and wine on this beautiful occasion.
Hong Kong itself has a deep tradition of philanthropy. About 10 600 charities in Hong Kong have contributed tremendously towards building and enhancing our social fabric, ranging from our schools, hospitals to elderly homes and welfare facilities. In financial year 2023-2024, approved charitable donations from business donors stood at about HK$4.8 billion; while for individual donors, approved charitable donations amounted to about HK$7.4 billion.
It is our vision to develop Hong Kong into a philanthropic centre for global family offices and philanthropists to deploy charitable capital benefiting Hong Kong, the Mainland and the overseas. This vision is not just aspirational, but is indeed deeply rooted in Hong Kong's unique strengths: our strategic location and unique proximity to China; robust legal framework and adherence to the rule of law; as well as a vibrant financial ecosystem with a strong banking system, extensive capital markets, and availability of professional services and talents. These altogether help make Hong Kong an ideal platform for philanthropic endeavours. But beyond these tangible assets, I believe Hong Kong's true potential lies in the people here in the city - your compassion, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to building a better society.
The Foundation, with its dedication to creating tailored projects for donors interested in supporting cross-border philanthropic initiatives, has certainly been a catalyst for positive change in Hong Kong. I am delighted to learn that the Foundation has supported five meaningful projects in the areas of education, heritage and music, four of which will be further explained later this evening. Furthermore, the Foundation has also been a strategic partner in Hong Kong's philanthropic initiative Impact Link, or iLink in short, which is being championed by the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy.
The iLink is an excellent example of public-private philanthropy partnerships, whereby private foundations as strategic partners are brought together by the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government in pursuit of the common good. It also serves as a platform for nurturing the next generation of philanthropists and fostering meaningful collaborations that drive social change.
With the unfailing support from the Foundation and other strategic partners, capacity-building seminars and workshops under iLink have helped families initiate their first steps towards philanthropy and allowed them to acquire best practices from leading philanthropy organisations. Looking ahead, the iLink's depository platform will be launched this year, which will provide a dedicated platform for invited family philanthropists to discover scalable initiatives that address critical challenges in Hong Kong and beyond. Strategic partners, family partners and projects nominated, including those nominated by the Foundation, will be displayed on the platform. We would continue to count on the thought leadership of the Foundation in promoting the exceptional qualities of Hong Kong in supporting philanthropic causes.
In closing, may I commend Fondation de France Asia again for your contribution to Hong Kong. I wish the Foundation enormous success in all its endeavours, whether in Hong Kong, Asia or other parts of the world. For everyone here, may I wish you good health and joyful donation. Thank you very much.
Ends/Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:57
Issued at HKT 19:57
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