Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Liu Guangyuan (front row, 4th right) and Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (front row, center) attend the Junior Professional Officers to the UN launch ceremony on Jan 16, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

Hong Kong will send 12 young civil servants to take up positions in the United Nations for the next two years and they were urged do a good job in sharing Hong Kong stories.  

At a ceremony for the officers on Monday, 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 them to give play to their strengths on the international stage to bridge the country and the world and tell good stories about the SAR. 

They can tell their new friends and work partners about the city’s strengths, charm and competitiveness, giving them a correct understanding of Hong Kong, Lee said

The young public officers from various HKSAR government departments will report for duty in early 2023 for a two-year stint as junior officers at different UN agencies in the United States, Switzerland, Austria, and Kenya.

READ MORE: Young HK officials set for UN posts on central govt backing

Extending his best wishes, Lee said he hoped the Hong Kong youngsters shoulder the responsibility of helping spread the good stories about the territory. 

They can tell their new friends and work partners about the city’s strengths, charm and competitiveness, giving them a correct understanding of Hong Kong, Lee said. 

He urged the officers to work passionately and use their expertise and experience in Hong Kong to contribute to the world as the international community faces unprecedented challenges.

Lee also called on them to serve as a bridge between the country and the world, cherishing the valuable opportunity of serving in UN agencies to promote people-to-people bonds.

They should also 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, adding that he expects them to bring their knowledge back to Hong Kong after their term and contribute to the city.

He also 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. 

Speaking at the same ceremony, Liu said promoting young public officers in Hong Kong to work in the UN 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 demonstrated the SAR government’s high expectations of young people and the great importance it attached to youth work, he said.

READ MORE: 5 young locals to join UN as junior professional officers

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 Hong Kong SAR, 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 Programme. 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.