EOC Announces Growing Support for the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers Among SMEs with Signing Ceremony and Report Launch
The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) today (18 March 2025) held a signing ceremony to welcome 14 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the SME Sustainability Society as new signatories of the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers (“Charter”). By signing the Charter, they pledge to promote racial diversity and inclusion (D&I) in their respective workplaces, joining over 500 other signatories in making the commitment publicly.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau, Chairperson of the EOC, said, “We are delighted to see a growing number of SMEs taking proactive steps to foster racially inclusive workplaces for people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. SMEs form the backbone of Hong Kong’s economy, employing over 1.2 million people in the city. As such, their commitment to building a multicultural workforce is pivotal to transforming Hong Kong into a truly diverse and inclusive society.”
The 14 new signatories are all members of the SME Sustainability Society. During the ceremony, three new signatories, namely Crown Gas Stoves (Holdings) Co. Ltd., Meiriki Japan. Co. Ltd. and Richform Holdings Ltd., shared their experiences in promoting racial equality through community engagement and hiring practices.
Ms Ophelia LIN, Founding President of the SME Sustainability Society, said that “SMEs can serve as an important force for promoting social inclusion. We are committed to creating equal employment opportunities for diverse ethnicities and hope everyone will embrace this concept to achieve a sustainable Hong Kong.”
Dr Jimmy LAU, President of the SME Sustainability Society, added that “signing the Charter is a significant step for SMEs towards business sustainability, demonstrating our commitment to an inclusive culture.”
Meanwhile, the EOC released the findings from the second round of Advanced Annual Reviews submitted by Charter signatories at the ceremony. The review invites signatories to fill in an ‘Advanced Annual Review Form’ to provide details of the policies and practices they have adopted to promote racial diversity and inclusion. The first round of report was released in 2023 with 29 responses. The responses from this round of review, which included 42 responses, have been summarised into a report.
One of the highlights of the report is the significant growth in the participation of SMEs in the review, which went up from 5 to 13. This trend is particularly encouraging, as it shows that even smaller enterprises and organisations are capable of and willing to implement practices and policies that promote racial equality in employment.
The report also notes improvements in preventing racial bias in hiring and taking account of racial diversity and inclusion within organisations. In addition, 48% of the respondents, including SMEs, provided internship and mentorship programmes for underrepresented groups. This figure stood at 5% in the previous round of review.
Commenting on the report, Ms Lam said, “The findings highlighted in the report are encouraging, as they clearly show that policies and practices that promote racial equality are gaining traction among local employers. Through this review and the publication of the report, we have gained valuable insights into the policies and best practices adopted by organisations of different sizes. We aim to share these best practices with a broader audience and encourage more organisations across different sectors to embrace racial diversity and inclusion.”
14 SME signatories of the EOC’s Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers.
| 1. | 富安集團有限公司 | Richform Holdings Limited |
| 2. | 日本命力健康食品有限公司 | Meiriki Japan Co., Limited |
| 3. | 皇冠爐具（集團）有限公司 | Crown Gas Stoves (Holdings) Company Limited |
| 4. | 泗和棧石油工程有限公司 | Sze Wo Chaan Gas Company Limited |
| 5. | 施特偉科技(中國)有限公司 | Cityray Technology (China) Limited |
| 6. | 匠髮廊 | City Cut Hair & Beauty Salon |
| 7. | 潛水歷險會有限公司 | Diving Adventure Limited |
| 8. | 正昌科技（集團）有限公司 | Dunwell Technology (Holdings) Limited |
| 9. | 輝煌復康產品製造有限公司 | FH Rehabilitation Products Manufacturing Company Limited |
| 10. | 超敏科技有限公司 | Ultra Active Technology Limited |
| 11. | 樂巨人有限公司 | Healthy Giant Limited |
| 12. | 信山實業有限公司 | RHT Industries Limited |
| 13. | 宏才拓展有限公司 | Venture Global Limited |
| 14. | 潤晉設計及建築有限公司 | York Joint Design & Construction Co. Ltd. |
The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) today (18 March 2025) held a signing ceremony to welcome 14 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the SME Sustainability Society as new signatories of the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers (“Charter”). EOC Chairperson Ms Linda LAM Mei-sau (front row, centre); EOC Member Dr Rizwan ULLAH (front row, third left); EOC Executive Director (Operations) Dr Ferrick CHU Chung-man (front row, first left), and the representatives of the 14 SME signatories of the Charter took a group photo.
The three new signatories of the Racial Diversity & Inclusion Charter for Employers shared their experiences in promoting racial equality through community engagement and hiring practices at the ceremony today (18 March 2025). (From left) Dr Jimmy LAU, Founder & CEO of Richform Holdings Ltd.; Ms Ophelia LIN, Founder and Managing Director of Meiriki Japan Co. Ltd.; Ms Joyce LEE, Managing Director and Mr Sukwinder Singh, employee of Crown Gas Stoves (Holdings) Co. Ltd.; and EOC Member Dr Rizwan ULLAH joined the panel session.
