31 March 2014
Issue 94
31 March 2014
Issue 94
Members of the EOC met on 20 March 2014 at the 105th EOC Meeting and discussed various matters related to the Commission’s business. At the meeting, the Chairperson of the EOC, Dr. York CHOW, reported on the strategic work areas of the Commission for 2014/15, which included advocating equal education and employment opportunities for ethnic minorities, advancing enhanced support for students with special educational needs and promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. Members looked at the EOC’s draft guidelines on school uniforms under the Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO), which served to assist in the development and implementation of uniform rules in schools in accordance with the principles of equality. Members also discussed the draft Discrimination Law Review consultation document to be used in the public consultation exercise in mid-2014, and noted that the EOC is conducting a separate study on discrimination faced by sexual minorities in Hong Kong and whether legislation is needed to provide protection against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Read the press release
Read the EOC Blog
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On 16 March 2014, the EOC and Caritas Youth and Community Service co-organised “Hong Kong for All: Vision 2020,” a public event to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) 2014. We were delighted to have The Hon Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GBS, JP, Chief Secretary for Administration, as the Guest of Honour, as well as The Hon LAI Tung-kwok, SBS, IDSM, JP, Secretary for Security; The Hon Eddie NG Hak-kim, SBS, JP, Secretary for Education; and The Hon Paul Tang Kwok-wai, JP, Secretary for the Civil Service, as officiating guests. In her welcome remarks at the event, which was attended by over 300 participants, Mrs. Lam mentioned the support measures for ethnic minorities announced in the Policy Address 2014 and said, “The enhanced measures cover, amongst others, the areas of education, employment and community outreach. Some of the measures are particularly targeted at the younger generation and newcomers. It is important for all of us to continue working together to promote racial harmony and mutual understanding in our society.” The EOC welcomes the Government’s commitment to enhancing equal education and employment opportunities for ethnic minorities, and look forward to seeing concrete details and plans on these measures.
Read the press release
Read the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration
Read the winning entries of the IDERD 2014 Youth Writing Competition on the theme “Hong Kong for All: Vision 2020”
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On 19 March, the Legislative Council held the first reading of the Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2014, which was introduced to implement the Court of Final Appeal’s order in the landmark “W” case. The Bill, if passed, will require a person to undergo full sex reassignment surgery (SRS) in order to be able to marry in his/her affirmed gender. On 28 March 2014, the EOC Chairperson, Dr. York Chow, published an article in the South China Morning Post and Ming Pao to lay out the Commission’s position on the proposed Bill. In particular, Dr. Chow highlighted the problem with requiring full SRS for gender recognition and the right to marry, as many transgender persons cannot or choose not to undergo full sex reassignment surgery. Some may only be comfortable with undergoing hormonal treatment and physical changes to appearance. “In effect, the Government is making massive and invasive medical procedures a legal prerequisite for some to gain equal recognition and treatment. This is inappropriate and wrong,” wrote Dr Chow.
Read the article (South China Morning Post)
Read the article (Ming Pao)
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The 52nd session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) will take place in Geneva from 28 April – 23 May 2014. The Committee monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) by state parties. As the principle of the Covenant is closely related to the work of the EOC – the statutory body in Hong Kong responsible for promoting equal opportunities and eliminating discrimination-the Commission has made a submission to the Committee for its consideration. The submission covered key issues of the EOC’s strategic priorities, including the establishment of a Human Rights Commission, outlawing discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity as well as age, the planned Discrimination Law Review, employment of people with disability and women, education for ethnic minority students and students with special educational needs, and the establishment of a Mental Health Commission. Dr. John TSE Wing-ling, Convenor of the EOC’s Policy and Research Committee, and Dr Ferrick CHU, the EOC’s Head of Policy and Research, will attend the session in Geneva on behalf of the Commission on 5-8 May 2014.
Read the EOC’s submission
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Mediation is increasingly popular around the world as an effective alternative dispute resolution method in view of its advantages. The Department of Justice and Trade Development Council organised “Mediate First for a Win-Win Solution”, a two-day conference on 20-21 March 2014, as one of a series of activities during Mediation Week. Nine sectors, including Community, Commercial, Construction, Family, Financial, Education, Insurance, Legal Profession and Medical Profession have been identified as target sectors to further promote the wider use of mediation during the week. More than 700 legal and mediation professionals, academics, and business representatives attended the conference to discuss local and overseas mediation trends and developments, and its use in dispute resolution in different sectors. The EOC, as a practitioner of conciliation and alternative dispute resolution, was a supporting organisation of this event.
More on Mediation Week
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Stay updated on the EOC's work and positions by referring to our press releases, speeches, media interviews, and calendar training on our website. Also, stay tuned on other equal opportunities issues and community initiatives by visiting our community resources and community events pages for information from our community partners, including publications, survey reports, publicity campaigns, and upcoming conferences.