Members of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) met today (Thursday, 16 March 2006) and discussed matters related to the Commission's business as listed in the following:

1. EOC Corporate Statement of Values, Strategies and Objective  
2. Amalgamation of the Community Participation and Publicity Committee and Public Education and Research Committee
3. Six-monthly Review of EOC's Work between July – December 2005  
4. Reports of the Legal & Complaints Committee (LCC), Community Participation & Publicity Committee (CPPC) and Administration & Finance Committee (A&FC)  

Relating to the Commission's Corporate Statement of values, strategies and objectives, Members advice were sought on the direction for which the EOC would, on an annual basis, devise and implement its annual work plan and activities.  

Discussion on the amalgamation of the Community Participation and Publicity Committee (CPPC) and Public Education and Research Committee (PERC) focused on the organizational structure of the Commission. The two Committees are part of a total of 4 committees that Members attend to monitor the work of the EOC. The CPPC advises on measures to foster community participation in promoting equal opportunities and eliminating discrimination, while the PERC advises on measures to be taken in conducting public education on issues of concern to the Commission, such as training and research.  

Commission Members took note of the EOC's six monthly work review, which is tabled twice every calendar year at the first and third EOC regular meetings. The review provides a statistical presentation of the work of the Commission, as well as the work progress and legal actions undertaken during the last six months of the previous year. Also for Members' information were reports from the LCC, CPPC, A&FC, which presented key information raised and decisions made at the meetings of the Committees established under the Commission.

Statistical presentation of the Commission's work showed that complaints received under the three anti-discrimination ordinances increased by 18% from 595 in 2004 to 701 in 2005. Complaints received under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO) grew by 26% to 454 in 2005, compared with 360 in the previous year. Under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO), complaints remained at a similar level, 223 in 2005 against 214 in 2004. Under the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (FSDO), 24 complaints were received compared with 21 in the previous year, representing an increase of 14%.

In handling all complaints, continuous efforts were made to reach conciliation. In 2005 the Commission has been able to achieve a higher conciliation rate of 66%, as compared to 61% in 2004 and 53% in 2003.

Minutes of the 61st EOC meeting will be uploaded to the Commission's website at http://www.eoc.org.hk following Members' confirmation of its content at the next meeting on 15th June, 2006.