ENG-2003 — Page 69

THE LEGAL SYSTEM

departments. The committee's functions include formulating proposals for race- related public education and publicity, and vetting Funding Scheme applications.

In 2003, an Ethnic Minorities Forum and a Human Rights Forum were established to strengthen the links between the Government and relevant NGOs.

The Steering Committee on New Arrival Services is a high level body that seeks to ensure that new arrivals - whatever their origin - know what services are available to them, that those services are delivered, and that the services so provided remain appropriate to the needs of the committee's target clientele. The committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs. Its members comprise representatives of government departments that provide key services and an NGO.

Equal Opportunities Commission

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) was established as an independent statutory body under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance in May 1996 and started full operation in September that year. The commission is tasked to oversee the implementation of the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, the Disability Discrimination Ordinance and the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance. The functions of the commission include handling complaints, encouraging conciliation, providing assistance to aggrieved persons, and undertaking public education, research and training programmes to promote equal opportunities in the community. In 2003, the commission handled 13 626 enquiries and 1 348 complaints relating to the three anti- discrimination ordinances; 233 complaint cases were conciliated.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data

The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance provides for the appointment of a Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data to monitor, supervise and promote compliance with the ordinance. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCO) began full operation in December 1996.

In 2003, the PCO handled 15 782 enquiries and 1 176 complaints, and conducted eight compliance checks in relation to the ordinance.

Following a public consultation and discussions with the banking industry, in January 2003 the PCO issued the report on the broader sharing of consumer credit data and gazetted in May the revised Code of Practice on Consumer Credit Data which took effect from June 2. The revised Code of Practice was intended to address the community's concerns about the probable loss to the local economy caused by the rising trend of personal bankruptcy and consumer debt.

In December, the PCO issued the Report on the Public Consultation in Relation to the Draft Code of Practice on Monitoring and Personal Data Privacy at Work. Apart from reporting on the feedback collected, the PCO also responded to concerns raised during the consultation and set out the future course of action on the subject with a view to striking a balance between the interests of both employers and employees.

To enhance the general public's understanding of the ordinance, the PCO had continued to produce several newsletters and pamphlets. The office also undertook a variety of activities to foster a culture of respecting one another's privacy. The activities included public seminars, plenary meetings of the Data Protection Officers' Club, workshops for semi-finalists in the Privacy Protection in Action: TV Advertisement Competition and a drama performance.

37