Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mrs Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngo, GBM, GBS announced her first Policy Address on 11 October 2017. The EOC issued a statement to welcome the Government’s commitment to improving the rights and opportunities of the vulnerable and less privileged groups.

In particular, the EOC is encouraged to learn that the Policy Address responded to the EOC’s recommendations in the Discrimination Law Review (DLR), with the Government having devised a timeline for taking nine of the priority recommendations forward. Nevertheless, the EOC hopes that the Government will seriously consider and take forward the other priority recommendations by the EOC, which are important for eradicating systemic discrimination and advancing the equal opportunities of the protected groups. The EOC also urges the Government to take forward the public consultation and legislation to protect sexual minorities from discrimination in public domains.

Meanwhile, the EOC is pleased to learn that the Policy Address includes various items related to the promotion of a more inclusive, equal society. For instance, the fifth-term Government is making concrete plans to provide more opportunities for ethnic minority residents and people with disabilities to join the Civil Service, as well as better support for students with special educational needs and people with rare diseases. The EOC will continue to liaise and follow up with the Government on the implementation of the initiatives related to human rights and equality as outlined in the Policy Agenda.

We understand how busy and time-deprived people are in this information-loaded era. So, we have compiled four easy-to-read fact sheets related to the anti-discrimination ordinances. The two-pagers summarise facts and figures from the Census and Statistics Department, the EOC’s and other studies, the news and other legitimate sources with bullet points, tables and info-graphics. They come in handy when you are preparing a work presentation or researching for a school assignment on the related topics, or simply want to learn more about the basics of discrimination-related issues. The four fact sheets can be downloaded from the EOC website.

The EOC maintains an online database of selected complaint cases that it has handled and successfully settled through conciliation on its website. These cases provide reference as to what may constitute violation of the anti-discrimination ordinances and how aggrieved persons may seek redress through lodging complaints with the EOC. The latest conciliated cases have been uploaded and are now available for public viewing.

Meanwhile, schools, NGOs and other organisations can contact the EOC (email: eoc@eoc.org.hk) for reprint permission if they would like to make use of the materials in the database for non-profit-making purposes. They may also make reference to the Equal Opportunities Casebook, a collection of complaint cases, including legally-assisted and court cases handled by the EOC through the years.

It has been more than half a year since the EOC launched the EMbRACE campaign in March 2017 to promote racial inclusion and equality. Since then, various organisations have expressed support for the campaign and rolled out their own programmes to promote the message, deepening the impact and extending the mileage of the campaign.

In addition to coordinating with other organisations on initiatives related to racial equality, we have invited individuals and representatives of NGOs to say a few words about why racial equality is important to us. A few videos have recently been added to the collection, which can be viewed on the EMbRACE campaign Facebook page. Do check out our page and the videos, and better still, share them with your friends! As for organisations wishing to join and support the campaign, please do not hesitate to contact our Ethnic Minorities Unit at 2106 2156. Your support will help change our community for the better.

The annual Social Enterprise Summit will be held from 5 to 10 November. The summit strives to build a platform for social enterprises, NGOs, charities, businesses, investors, academics and the Government to engage one another in developing cross-sector partnerships. Celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year, the event takes the theme “Unleashing Systemic Change” and will include a two-day symposium featuring a variety of hot topics, such as start-ups and crowdfunding for social enterprises. Those interested can find more information and register for the programmes on the official website.