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Tung: Public will be involved more in policy making
By Tonny Chan (China Daily HK Edition)
Updated: 2004-06-14 08:34
The government will involve the public more while formulating policies on
long-term sustainable development for Hong Kong, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa
said yesterday.
Speaking at the United Nations Symposium on Development Programs in China and
United Nations/Hong Kong Partnership, Tung said there was an important role for
civic society to play in the process.
The process will be to canvass community views on how Hong Kong should
develop its long-term policies in three pilot areas, - renewable energy,
management of solid waste and urban living space, he explained.
"Again, non-government stakeholders will play a key role in designing and
implementing public involvement programmes and in collecting and analyzing
community views," he told the audience.
Tung pointed out it was the first symposium hosted in Hong Kong by the
agencies of the United Nations stationed in China.
"I'm happy to say that with the support of China, Hong Kong enjoys good
relations with members of the UN family. The World Bank and IFC, the IMF and the
UNHCR have all set up offices here," Tung said.
"Since the resumption of sovereignty by China over Hong Kong, the Hong Kong
SAR has continued to play an active role in the international arena," he said.
And under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle as enshrined in the Basic
Law, Tung added, the SAR had developed relationships with foreign states,
regions and international organizations in the economic, trade, financial and
monetary sectors.
"It helps us to maintain Hong Kong as a vibrant and dynamic international
city," he said.
He said people in Hong Kong were proud of the "significant progress" that the
mainland had achieved in improving the people's well-being in science, education
and sustainable development.
"As of 2002, China no longer had a single province or autonomous region in
the 'low development' category," he said, quoting the UN report on China's
progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
He said the mainland's development has had a significant effect on Hong
Kong's economy, but warned that the special administrative region should not
rely on making "incremental policy" to drain resources.
"There is a need to form a long-term view of the priorities for Hong Kong's
sustainable development," he said.
He said the Council for Sustainable Development set up in March last year had
been working on a process to engage the community in identifying long-term
priorities in a few key areas.
"The engagement process is designed to be different from conventional
government consultation exercises, in that it aims to involve the community
directly in building a consensus on how to ensure a good quality of life for
this and future generations," Tung said.
The symposium offered an invaluable opportunity for all who care deeply about
development on the mainland and in Hong Kong, he said.
"In the words of State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan, building a comprehensive
partnership will help realize these goals," he added.
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