Hong Kong Sends Record 16 Civil Servants to UN
SingTao · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong is dispatching a third batch of 16 young civil servants from different government departments to take up posts at various United Nations agencies, with departures beginning this month. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (李家超) said the group is the largest since the city joined the United Nations Junior Professional Officer programme in 2019 and urged them to treasure the opportunity. He said he expects them to build international experience as Chinese personnel in multilateral institutions and eventually bring that experience back to the Hong Kong SAR Government to help drive development. Lee also said they should act as bridges and tell Hong Kong’s “true good stories” to the world while engaging others with both confidence and humility.
Key Points
- Lee said the third batch includes 16 young Hong Kong civil servants from different grades and departments, with departures to UN agencies starting in September.
- He said Hong Kong joined the UN Junior Professional Officer scheme in 2019 and 2023, sending 5 and then 12 recommended officers respectively
- According to Lee, both earlier batches performed strongly during their terms and received high praise from the United Nations side
- Lee said the latest officers were recommended with support from the central government and assistance from the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong
- In remarks to the departing officers, Lee urged them to stay connected to the country, Hong Kong and the world, and serve as “super connectors” and “super value-adders”
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the programme points to a pathway for local civil servants to gain direct exposure to international institutions and then feed that experience back into public administration at home. Lee’s emphasis on bridge-building and telling Hong Kong’s story also shows the government sees these overseas postings as part of its wider external engagement and image-building efforts.