On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) 2021 (21 March), an online forum “Looking Beyond the Pandemic” will be co-hosted by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) with Caritas Youth & Community Service. The EOC also announces a new milestone reached by the EOC’s Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers. With 150 organisations now having signed the Charter, the EOC strongly believes that racial equality and inclusion in workplaces is a goal many are working towards.

On IDERD, EOC reaffirms its mission to make Hong Kong a pluralistic and inclusive society for all. It is a goal though, that cannot be achieved alone and we invite everyone to join us in our efforts to make our city a more equal, fair and harmonious society. The EOC has a number of events such as the online forum lined up to mark this important annual reminder of the fundamental values of equality and non-discrimination. While progress is being made, it is also true that Hong Kong’s racial minorities still face many hurdles in accessing equal opportunities in the most important areas of their lives including employment, education and housing.

Mr Ricky CHU Man-kin, Chairperson of the EOC said, “The lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic show us that humanity needs to come together to face challenges. This IDERD day, let us all make a conscious effort to put aside our differences, our coloured lenses and biases to make sure the only race we see is the human race. Let’s treat each other with the respect and understanding that we expect to be treated with ourselves.”

Our “Looking Beyond the Pandemic” online forum to be held on 21 March 2021, the exact IDERD day, 2:30pm-4:15pm, will feature panel discussions by racial community leaders, employers and social service providers, on how to build the capacity of the minority community in facing the adversary impacts of the pandemic and contributing to the revitalisation of Hong Kong. Visit our website (https://zh.eoc-iderd.org/iderd-forum) to know more about the panel discussion and register now at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f47sM1eoSUugYWd8lLs3bw.

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Equal Opportunities Commission
19 March 2021