CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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Sustainable Development Unit
The Sustainable Development Unit, established under the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, helps oversee the integration of sustainability principles within the Government and promotes sustainable development in the community.
One of the unit's major tasks is to implement a sustainability assessment system. From April 2002, all bureaux and departments are required to conduct sustainability assessments of their major initiatives and programmes, and explain their sustainability implications when making submissions to the Executive Council. During the year, the unit issued publications and reports, organised roving exhibitions and took part in a range of forums and seminars aimed at explaining and exploring issues relating to sustainable development. In June, the unit hosted an international symposium on the theme of Sustainability and the City, bringing together stakeholders and experts from overseas, the Mainland, Macau and Hong Kong to exchange views on ways to build a sustainable future.
The Civil Service
The Civil Service employs about 4.8 per cent of Hong Kong's labour force. It provides staff for all government departments and other units of the Administration. At December 31, the total strength of the Civil Service was 169 600 (excluding about 1 500 ICAC and judicial officers), with staff distributed among some 405 grades and
1 136 ranks.
Overall policy responsibility for the management of the Civil Service lies with the Civil Service Bureau of the Government Secretariat. It includes policies on matters such as appointments, pay and conditions of service, staff management, manpower planning, training and discipline. The bureau is also the focal point for consultation with major staff associations and its General Grades Office manages the 27 400 executive, clerical and secretarial staff. Management of the Civil Service is governed mainly by three important instruments: the Public Service (Administration) Order, the Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulation, and the Civil Service Regulation, all made with the authority of the Chief Executive.
The Public Service Commission is an independent statutory body set up in 1950 under the Public Service Commission Ordinance to advise the Chief Executive on appointment, promotion and disciplinary matters in the Civil Service. The Government is also advised on matters relating to pay and conditions of service by four independent bodies: the Standing Committees on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service (senior officers); Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service (the judicial officers); Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service (the disciplined services); and the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service (all other civil servants).
In accordance with the Basic Law, Principal Officials must be Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of the HKSAR with no right of abode in any foreign country and have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 15 years. It is also a Basic Law requirement that new recruits to the Civil Service on or after July 1, 1997, should normally be permanent residents of the HKSAR, save for certain exceptions, for example to fill professional and technical posts. The Government administers a long-established policy of localisation of the Civil Service, which gives preference in recruitment to candidates who are permanent residents of