Press Releases (3741)

     The Government announced today (March 18) that under the provisions of the Sex Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 480), the Chief Executive has appointed Professor Alfred Chan Cheung-ming as Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) for a term of three years commencing April 11, 2016.

     Professor Chan has an impressive professional and public service record in fields such as health, welfare, the elderly and ethnic minorities in both Hong Kong and the international arena. Professor Chan is currently Chair Professor of Social Gerontology cum Director of Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies and Office of Service-Learning at Lingnan University. He has also been Chairman of the Elderly Commission since 2011, and is also an incumbent member of the Minimum Wage Commission, the Independent Police Complaints Council and the Health and Medical Development Advisory Committee.

     A Government spokesman said, "An open recruitment exercise was conducted by a human resources consultant to select the EOC Chairperson. A Selection Board was set up to carefully consider each candidate and make recommendations to the Chief Executive.

     "The selection criteria included knowledge, ideals and passion towards equal opportunities and anti-discrimination, extensive administrative experience and leadership as well as good communication skills and so forth.

     "Professor Chan's clear vision, passion and commitment in various areas of equal opportunities have been fully evidenced by his work and experience in the social service and tertiary education sectors over the years.

     "Professor Chan has extensive experience in public service and possesses good leadership, management and communication skills. We are confident that under his leadership, the EOC will continue to actively promote equal opportunities and eliminate discrimination in the community."

     The Government also expressed its gratitude for the work of Dr York Chow Yat-ngok, the incumbent Chairperson, at the EOC over the past three years. The spokesman said, "During the term of office of Dr Chow, the EOC has continued to effectively implement the four anti-discrimination Ordinances, facilitated the amendment of the Sex Discrimination Ordinance to expand the scope of protection against sexual harassment, and set up the Ethnic Minorities Unit. The EOC has also promoted equal opportunities in the community and raised public awareness of the EOC through various publicity and educational initiatives. In addition, under the leadership of Dr Chow, the EOC's performance has exceeded its targets, handling efficiently over 10,000 enquiries and over 500 complaints a year."

     The Selection Board appointed to advise the Chief Executive on the recruitment was chaired by Mrs Laura Cha and comprised Mr Chow Chung-kong, Mr Bernard Chan, Mr Tsang Kin-ping, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.

Ends/Friday, March 18, 2016
Issued at HKT 11:58

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Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (Designate), Professor Alfred Chan Cheung-ming.