ENG-2004 — Page 65

The Legal System ❘ 39

The Bill of Rights prohibits acts of racial discrimination on the part of the Government and public authorities. In June 2003, the Government announced that legislation against racial discrimination would be introduced. Public consultations on the legislative proposals are currently in progress with a view to introducing the bill into the Legislative Council in the 2004-05 legislative session.

To improve government services to ethnic minorities, a Race Relations Unit was established in June 2002. Its work includes devising and producing publicity materials, maintaining a hotline for enquiries and complaints, outreach work to schools, and providing secretariat services to the Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony.

The Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony, established in June 2002, is an advisory body comprising non-government members with an active interest in race issues, and relevant government departments. The Committee's functions. include formulating proposals for race-related public education and publicity, and vetting funding scheme applications. Among the programmes it finances are language classes in Cantonese and English, training for community organisers, training programmes, radio broadcasts in selected minority languages, and after- school support services for minority children in mainstream schools.

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 and includes representatives. of government departments that provide key services and a representative of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

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 2004, the commission handled 12 401 enquiries and 893 complaints relating to the three anti- discrimination ordinances; 199 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.