As Hong Kong's largest employer, the Government is committed to eliminating discrimination in employment, said Secretary for the Civil Service, Joseph Wong Wing-ping, at a recent meeting of the LegCo, adding that the Government seeks to promote equal opportunities employment in the community among persons of all races.

''Appointment to the civil service is based on the principle of open and fair competition. Civil Service vacancies are filled through a competitive selection process on the basis of the merit of eligible candidates,'' said Mr Wong.

He added that appointment to the civil service was based on service need, citing, as an example, ''where there is a need to recruit persons with a special language ability for delivery of public service, as an equal opportunities employer, we would specify the language requirement in the recruitment rather than confine the eligibility to candidates of a particular ethnic origin.''


Basic Law provisions

Mr Wong said that whilst Article 99 provides that new recruits to the civil service, save for certain specific exceptions, must be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), ethnic origin was never a consideration in civil service appointments.

Article 101 goes on to say that foreign nationals may also be appointed from outside the HKSAR as advisors to fill technical and professional posts in government departments.


Racial Discrimination Bill

The public consultation exercise in 2004 on proposed legislation against racial discrimination came to a close in early February and a bill is expected to be introduced to the LegCo before the end of the current session.

The Bill defines racial discrimination as discrimination based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin and covers direct and indirect racial discrimination, racial harassment and vilification, and discrimination on the basis of the race of the spouse or relative as well as by way of victimisation. Areas covered under the Bill include:

• employment;
  
  
• education;
  
  
• goods, facilities, services and premises;
  
  
• advisory and statutory bodies; and
  
  
• pupillage and tenancy in barristers' chambers.

It is expected that the proposed legislation will have very little impact on the Government. The LegCo brief noted that the existing anti-discrimination laws had not significantly affected Government operations and that ''since the Government is already subject to the anti-discrimination provisions in the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance, an anti-racial discrimination law applying to both the public and private sectors is unlikely to add to the Government's obligations.''


Equal opportunities for the disabled

The next issue of the Civil Service Newsletter issue No.63 will address equal opportunities for the disabled in the civil service and will include experiences of some civil servants on how they have overcome their difficulties.

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