The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) welcomes the wide array of policy initiatives on safeguarding harmony and stability set out in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address 2023.

The EOC strongly supports the policy measures for supporting persons with disabilities, students with special educational needs, persons with mental health needs, carers and ethnic minorities (EMs). These measures not only ensure that the respective groups receive the appropriate support, but can also facilitate their full integration and participation in society.

In respect of the policy initiatives of setting up two new support service centres for EMs in Kowloon Central and New Territories East by end-2024 and the establishment of an EM Care Team in each of the support service centres for EMs starting from mid-2024, the EOC believes that these measures can help promote greater understanding of the needs of the EM communities and racial harmony between the EM and mainstream communities. 

The EOC is also strongly supportive of the policy measures to implement the regularised Racial Diversity Employment Programme. As set out in the Policy Address, departments are encouraged to design their own language tests according to the job requirements of individual civil service grades so as to provide an additional way for applicants to meet the appointment requirements in respect of language profi­ciency, and strengthen dissemination of government recruitment information to non-ethnic Chinese so that they could receive such information in a more direct and effi­cient manner. By taking the lead, the government can set a good example and mobilise other employers to follow suit, with a view to easing the employment difficulties EMs.

As mentioned in the Policy Address, the EOC will continue to work closely with the government to study how the protection under the anti-discrimination ordinances could be enhanced, and step up publicity and promotion of anti-sexual harassment, raise public awareness and response capabilities. Through training, publicity and educational programmes, the EOC will continue to encourage community members to remove prejudices and discrimination, so as to build an equal, inclusive, harmonious and steady society.

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Equal Opportunities Commission
26 October 2023