The EOC’s Equal Opportunity Youth Ambassador Scheme is in full swing, with the Youth Ambassadors participating in the Tsim Sha Tsui Community Multicultural Tour on 2 and 9 March 2024. The tour brought participating students to the Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre, giving them a valuable opportunity to meet members of the Muslim community in Hong Kong and learn more about their faith and culture. This was followed by a visit to the iconic Chungking Mansions. In addition to learning about the history of the landmark, the Youth Ambassadors also sampled food and snacks from various cultures. EOC Members Hon Vincent CHENG Wing-shun and Miss Lily CHOW also joined the tours.

The EOC has introduced the Universal Accessibility Pledge (UA Pledge) to encourage premises to demonstrate their commitment to creating accessible environments. The UA Pledge is open to organisations that may not be eligible for the Universal Design Award Scheme but are committed to allocating resources to improve the accessibility of their premises. Applications for the UA Pledge are now open until 30 August 2024 and the results will be announced in October 2024. Selected organisations will be presented with an e-certificate in recognition of their commitment.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives have gained significance as a key strategy for organisations and businesses to achieve sustainable, long-term growth. On 28 February 2024, the EOC held a seminar titled “Embracing Equal Opportunities to Enhance ESG” to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to realise their ESG goals by creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. During the event, experts from the EOC shared valuable insights and practical tips on preventing workplace sexual harassment, fostering racially inclusive work environments, and implementing universal design principles to enhance accessibility.

The EOC’s 2024 spring training workshops are now open for applications. The upcoming programme, which will run from April to June 2024, will feature three free courses and seven fee-charging courses.