The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) held a reception today (29 November 2024) at the Grand Auditorium, HKEX Connect Hall to mark the 6th Anniversary of the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter (the “Charter”) and celebrate the Charter for surpassing 500 signatories. During the event, which was titled “Marking Milestones”, the EOC also announced the launch of the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Employers Award Scheme (the “Award Scheme”).

The Honourable Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee, Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, was the guest of honour. Speaking to the 200 attendees at the event, which was part of the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the implementation of the Race Discrimination Ordinance, she emphasised the importance of racial diversity and inclusion to the social and economic development of Hong Kong.

Mrs Ip said, “As an international city that prides itself on being at the forefront of promoting equality and prosperity for all, we have much to thank the EOC for the good work they have done in spreading the values of diversity, equality and inclusion. Acceptance of these values are not only essential from the point of view of safeguarding fundamental rights, it is also important from the point of view of enhancing our competitiveness as a global financial, business and trading hub. Despite challenging geopolitical conditions, Hong Kong has done extremely well in protecting minority rights and we should be proud of what we have achieved.”

Launched in 2018, the Charter provides best practices in nine areas for signatories to follow, while offering a platform for signatories to share their experiences in building multicultural workplaces. To encourage knowledge exchange, the celebratory event featured a moderated conversation with three industry leaders on the challenges and the motivations in launching policies and initiatives to promote racial diversity and inclusion in their organisations.

EOC Chairperson Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau said, “Laws and policies alone cannot go far in advancing racial diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) in workplaces and within the community. Instead, true progress requires a deeper and sustained attitude shift in society that places racial DEI at the heart of corporate culture. Over the past six years, the signatories of the Charter have made significant contributions in working towards this goal by adopting the best practices and sharing their experiences with their peers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with employers across different sectors to ensure that individuals from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds can have access to equal opportunities in the labour market.”

With the aim to recognise organisations that demonstrate a significant commitment to promoting racial diversity and inclusion, the EOC announced the launch of the Award Scheme at the event. Organisations that have implemented initiatives to promote racial inclusion in the workplace are invited to submit applications for one of the three award categories, namely Racial Equity in Hiring Award, Inclusive Workplace Award, and Community Engagement Award. The applications will be assessed by an independent judging panel on five areas, including strategic approach, implementation, innovation, sustainability and impact. Interested organisations can submit their applications for the Award Scheme from 9 December 2024 until 31 March 2025. Visit the Award Scheme’s website for more information:
https://www.eoc.org.hk/en/news-and-events/events-and-programmes/eoc-events/inclusion-charter#pane-8685967f-9bd6-4903-a867-e8f201b41627

- End -

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) today (29 November 2024) holds a reception to celebrate the 6th anniversary of the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers (the Charter) cum 15th anniversary of the implementation of the Race Discrimination Ordinance. The Honourable Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee, Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (centre); Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau, EOC Chairperson (fifth from left); and EOC Members and management team propose a toast to the guests offstage, marking a new milestone for the Charter.

Mr Richard HALL, Managing Director of Citybus Limited (second from left); Ms Gina WONG, Chief Executive Officer of Make The Right Call (second from right); and Ms Olivia WONG, General Manager - Environmental & Social Responsibility of MTR Corporation (first from right) participate in a sharing session on advancing racial diversity and inclusion in the workplace at the celebration reception of the 6th anniversary of the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers held today (29 November 2024).