Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (front row, center) and Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR Liu Guangyuan (front row, fifth from right) pose for a group photo with guests at the launch ceremony of the HKSAR Junior Professional Officers to the United Nations on Monday. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

Hong Kong will send 12 young civil servants to take up positions in the United Nations for the next two years.  

At a launch ceremony held on Monday, the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Liu Guangyuan and Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu called on the officers to give play to their strengths on the international stage to bridge the country and the world and a good job in sharing Hong Kong stories.

The young public officers from various HKSAR government departments will report for duty soon for a two-year stint as junior officers at different UN agencies in the United States, Switzerland, Austria, and Kenya.

Extending his best wishes and expectations to them, Lee said he hoped the Hong Kong youngsters shoulder the responsibility of telling stories about Hong Kong well. They can tell their new friends and work partners about the city’s strengths when returning to the center of the international stage, the city’s traditional and emerging power, and charm and competitiveness, giving them a correct understanding of Hong Kong, Lee said.

He urged these young Hong Kong officers to work passionately and use their expertise and experience in Hong Kong fully to contribute to the world in an environment where global development is facing unprecedented challenges.

Lee also called on them to serve as a bridge between China and the world. They should cherish the valuable opportunity of serving in UN agencies to promote people-to-people bonds, understand the country’s positioning in the global arena, and contribute to the country’s participation in global governance, Lee said.

Lee urged the young officers to always remember that they are representatives of the country and the SAR, and said he expects them to bring their knowledge back to Hong Kong after their term and contribute to the city.

In addition, Lee expressed his gratitude to the central government for its support of Hong Kong young people and thanked the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR for its assistance.

“The central government’s strong support for sending young Hong Kong civil servants to serve in the UN is a recognition of Hong Kong youth,” Lee said.

Also attending the ceremony, Liu said promoting young public officers in Hong Kong to work in the United Nations is an important measure taken by the central government to give full play to the advantages of the principle of “one country, two systems”.

This measure demonstrated the SAR government’s high expectations of young people and the great importance it attached to youth work, Liu said.

Liu said he hopes young officers can demonstrate their self-confidence and self-reliance to the world.

During the ceremony, Kiki Chan Pui-ki, a youth representative working in the Financial Secretary’s Private Office, said that she is looking forward to witnessing the country’s continuous development at the UN, and hoping to seize the opportunity to contribute to the country.

In 2019, five young public officers from the HKSAR, with the support of the central government and at the recommendation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were the first Hong Kong participants on the UN JPO Program. This was viewed as a significant breakthrough for Hong Kong’s external affairs and for young people from Hong Kong to enter the international arena.

Contact the writers at oasishu@chinadailyhk.com