NEWS/ HONG KONG/ CITY

Press Release – Immediate

Hong Kong Government Accessing Views of Ethnic Minority Top Talent

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 21 March 2025

Hong Kong, 19 March 2025 – Hong Kong has long been seen as an international city, and the Hong Kong SAR government has been committed to onboarding ethnic minorities with skills and expertise onto the government Advisory and Statutory Bodies (ASBs) since 2016. These ASBs provide advice to the government to perform its functions, and the members of these various committees bring diverse expertise and knowledge from their areas of work. This effort is about ensuring that the government has access to the needs and views of the ethnic minority population as well as international viewpoints, both critical to Hong Kong’s revitalisation. 

Since 2016, The Zubin Foundation has published the Diversity List – a directory of ethnic minorities who have demonstrated talent and commitment to serve on government ASBs. The Diversity List has collectively put forward a total of 143 individuals for consideration by the government’s ASBs. Based on self-reporting by the individuals on the Diversity List, to date, 38 have been appointed to 81 ASB positions, accounting for a success rate of 27%. Individuals on Diversity List are screened by Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership consulting firm.

Shalini Mahtani, Founder and CEO of The Zubin Foundation and author of the Diversity List emphasised the importance of incorporating local ethnic minority voices: “In this post-COVID world, as Hong Kong grapples with low growth and the shifting consumption patterns in the Greater Bay Area, government’s access to Hong Kong’s top local ethnic minority is critical to shaping the city we wish to become. Our ethnic minority community is fast-growing and is well-networked internationally.”

Dr. Rizwan Ullah, a District Councillor from Kowloon City and a member of the first Diversity List in 2016, remarked, “Diversity List opened up many opportunities for me to serve Hong Kong and Greater China. It helped me to be seen.” Dr Ullah is also a fluent Cantonese speaker and serves as Vice Principal at a local school.

Ethnic minorities invited to serve on government ASBs and sit a range of committees. “It’s not just about which committee you are invited to join. It’s about embarking on a journey to serve Hong Kong. It’s about using your professional expertise and life experiences to effectively represent and present your views to the government.” said Prof Naubahar Sharif, named in Diversity List, and member of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health and Research Strategy Expert Group under the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit (CEPU) of the HKSAR.

“Accessing diverse views is not a tick box exercise – it is about wanting to learn from the best, regardless of race, gender, or age” said Dr Theresa Cunanan, named in Diversity List, member of Equal Opportunities Commission, non-official member of the Housing Authority and Senior Lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Mahtani added, “The views of ethnic minorities are important to shaping public policy.”

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