The Commission on Children (CoC) held the "Child Protection Harmony Fun Day" public engagement event at the Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre today (October 11). The event marked the 100-day countdown to the commencement of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance on January 20 next year, with an aim to enhance public awareness of the Ordinance and promote child protection among members of the public and ethnic minority communities. 
 
     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare and Vice-chairperson of the CoC, Mr Chris Sun, together with the ex-officio members of the CoC; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming; the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Edward To; and the Chairman of the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong, Mr Saeed Uddin, officiated at the opening ceremony. 
 
     In his opening remarks, Mr Sun said that the Government has launched the Child Protection Campaign to dovetail with the commencement of the Ordinance and to enhance the understanding of the mandatory reporting regime among specified professionals and members of the public. The event further strengthened the collaboration between the Government and ethnic minority communities to jointly create a safe and inclusive environment for the growth of children.
 
     Mr Uddin indicated that child protection is not only a professional responsibility but also a moral and communal obligation. He reaffirmed that the ethnic minority community is fully committed to supporting and promoting the establishment of a safe and respectful environment for children. Mr Chow pointed out that the Police have always been committed to fostering community engagement with ethnic minority groups and have been promoting the new legislation through various channels and stakeholders. He appealed to members of the public to promptly report any suspected child abuse cases to safeguard the safety and well-being of children. Mr To highlighted that the Social Welfare Department has been working closely with other government departments and non-governmental organisations to safeguard the well-being of children. Through the cross-sectoral support and collaborative efforts of professionals from the social welfare, education and healthcare sectors, problems can be identified and intervened upon at an early stage, providing families in need with appropriate assistance.
 
     The officiating guests, accompanied by the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan; the Convenor of the Working Group on Child Protection of the CoC, Ms Kathy Chung; and Vice-convenors Dr Rizwan Ullah and Ms Donna Wong; the Convenor of the Working Group on Promotion and Public Engagement of the CoC, Mr Gary Wong; and the Vice-convenor, Ms Joyce Lee, officiated at the kick-off ceremony to mark the milestone of the 100-day countdown to the commencement of the Ordinance in January next year. 
 
     The event featured different interactive game booths for ethnic minorities and local families to participate in. These booth games highlighted the content of the Ordinance and the message of child protection, facilitating parents and carers in understanding how the mandatory reporting regime could protect children from abuse, thereby enhancing public awareness of the Ordinance. Children's health check stations were also set up at the event, encouraging parents and carers to pay closer attention to children's health and development, thereby promoting a healthy lifestyle.
 
     This event was one of the stakeholder engagement events of the CoC under the theme of racial harmony for child protection. Through community participation, it widely disseminated the message of child protection to members of the public. The CoC will continue to promote the work on child protection through various publicity initiatives and activities and collaborate with all sectors of society to safeguard the well-being of children. 

Ends/Saturday, October 11, 2025
Issued at HKT 14:40

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