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2025
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today attended two discussion sessions at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting in Incheon, Korea. In the morning, Mr Lam met Indonesian Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, before the ministerial meeting. They discussed capacity building on online dispute resolution and other matters of mutual interest. Mr Lam then attended the third and fourth discussion sessions of the ministerial meeting. Apart from discussing how structural reform can promote prosperity for all, Mr Lam also introduced Hong Kong, China’s measures in housing, labour, healthcare, and support for the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Furthermore, he elaborated on Hong Kong, China's vision of further improving people’s livelihoods and building a fair and just society through legislation, updating laws, and developing the economy through reforms. In the afternoon, Mr Lam visited the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Regional Centre for Asia & the Pacific, and met its Head Athita Komindr. The Sixth UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit, a biennial flagship event jointly organised by UNCITRAL and the Department of Justice (DoJ), will be held in Hong Kong during Hong Kong Legal Week in December. The summit will explore topics related to the application of digital economy, virtual assets, artificial intelligence and other relevant subjects in the judicial field. Mr Lam wrapped up the day's engagements with a courtesy call to Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Korea Dai Bing in the evening. The justice chief briefed Mr Dai on the co-operation between the DoJ and the Korean Ministry of Justice, and the way forward for strengthening the overseas promotion of the advantages of Hong Kong’s legal services.
The Immigration Department conducted a tabletop emergency-handling exercise as part of its preparations for the 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games. The exercise focused on the immigration arrangements for athletes and related personnel at control points during the games, and on emergencies that may arise during the cross-boundary events. The aim was to stage scenarios and simulate processes in order to strengthen departmental officers' responsiveness and collaboration, and ensure that preparations are thorough and seamless. During the exercise, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok and the commanders of various control points were briefed by participating colleagues. Mr Kwok said the exercise provided valuable training experience, and that its successful completion reflected the robustness of the department's response mechanisms, showcasing the professionalism of departmental staff inspired by the spirit of “Love our country & Hong Kong, & striving for excellence.” He elaborated that the exercise enabled staff to further familiarise themselves with emergency response protocols for the 15th NG, so that they can provide safe and smooth immigration services for athletes and related personnel.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today spoke at the opening ceremony of the Legal Practice Training Course for Chinese Enterprises Going Overseas, organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. Mr Lam said with the high-quality development of the national economy, an increasing number of outstanding Mainland enterprises are actively expanding to overseas markets, while at the same time facing many challenges. He expressed hope that the training course would enable participants to comprehensively understand current trends in overseas expansion, keep abreast of evolving legal and regulatory challenges, and effectively tackle the complex issues encountered by enterprises when “going overseas”. Over 30 legal advisers and related professionals from state-owned enterprises will explore the practical and imminent legal issues and challenges faced by Mainland enterprises going global, in the course that officially started today. The lectures’ speakers include experienced legal professionals from Hong Kong and overseas, as well as members of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee. The academy also invited more than 10 senior legal practitioners from 12 jurisdictions in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, to share their first-hand experiences and insights in the local markets with participants.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will depart for Korea tomorrow afternoon, where he will attend the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting in Incheon and speak at the discussion sessions. On October 22 and 23, Mr Lam will attend a joint session of the Finance Ministers’ Meeting and the Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting, and the Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting. The Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting this year is themed “Future Direction & Role of Structural Reform in addressing emerging challenges”, and ministers from APEC member economies will discuss how to build a sustainable future through structural reforms and the implementation of law and policies. Mr Lam will also attend a joint legal workshop co-organised by the Department of Justice and the Ministry of Justice of Korea. His other engagements during this trip include a visit to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Regional Centre for Asia & the Pacific, and a local arbitration institution. Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on October 25. During his absence, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan will be Acting Secretary.
The International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) commenced operations today, providing mediation services for disputes between states, international investment and international commercial disputes. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Chief Executive John Lee, representatives of the IOMed’s contracting states, as well as 87 senior officials from 31 states out of the 37 signatory states. Mr Lee said: “In these times of global instability, international mediation is indispensable for resolving disputes, preserving relationships and encouraging meaningful co-operation. With our world-class professional services, Hong Kong is dedicated to supporting the cause of dispute resolution.” IOMed Governing Council Chairperson Hua Chunying remarked that the IOMed offers a new platform in the field of international rule of law, and its vision is highly consistent with that of the Global Governance Initiative of China. IOMed Secretary-General Prof Teresa Cheng also noted the organisation practises multilateralism, serving as a global pillar in the peaceful settlement of international disputes. Housed at the renovated Old Wan Chai Police Station, the IOMed headquarters is equipped with state-of-the-art mediation rooms and breakout rooms, with the building’s architectural features preserved.
Whether at busy intersections or tranquil street corners, Hong Kong has silent sentinels safeguarding citizens. Through the SmartView initiative, the Police Force has to date installed more than 4,500 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in public places with high crime rates and pedestrian flows, aiding crime prevention and detection. Since its launch, SmartView has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness, assisting the force in detecting more than 480 criminal cases and leading to the arrests of more than 840 individuals. Emergency reliefBesides combating crime, SmartView has been invaluable during typhoons and extreme weather conditions. It provides real-time monitoring of high-risk locations such as areas vulnerable to flooding and public transport interchanges, allowing Police to put precautionary arrangements in place. For example, during the recent Super Typhoon Ragasa, Police closely monitored the storm’s impact on the city from their Command & Control Centre, located at Wan Chai Police Headquarters. Operations Wing Senior Superintendent of Police Leung Ming-leung explained that during the post-typhoon recovery phase, Police used SmartView’s cameras to assess the road conditions on major routes and at public transport hubs. This enabled them to quickly deploy personnel and resources, helping the community restore normalcy as swiftly as possible. “We also shared the SmartView video feeds with the Drainage Services Department to assist them in monitoring flooding conditions in the city,” he added. The force hopes that as SmartView continues to develop and improve, footage can be shared with other government departments at times of need in the future. Enhancing efficiencyIn addition, the force is committed to leveraging other innovations to enhance the efficiency of SmartView. This includes introducing automatic number plate recognition technology in July. This new function has strengthened the force's capabilities in dealing with suspicious and wanted vehicles. SmartView also supports people-counting technology, which employs a large language model to provide precise estimates. Police have deployed this function at multiple large-scale events, including the recent National Day fireworks display, where it was found to be highly effective. Expanding coverageAs a city-wide initiative under the steer of the Task Force on District Governance, SmartView cameras are mainly installed on lampposts, smart lampposts and government buildings. Starting from late July this year, the force has also mounted cameras on Police vehicles as mobile CCTV units. The force is now looking to expand its range of installation platforms, and will install the first traffic light-mounted camera before the end of this year. To further enhance the efficiency and coverage of SmartView, it also plans to gradually integrate CCTV cameras installed by other government departments and public organisations, such as those at the Kai Tak Sports Park. To date, over 5,000 such cameras have been connected to SmartView. In terms of collaboration with other departments, the force's target for this year is to integrate cameras from 10 public housing estates managed by the Housing Department, three cross-harbour tunnels managed by the Transport Department, seven venues related to the National Games that are managed by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department, and four immigration control points.
The Vegetable Marketing Organization (VMO) announced today that it detected a ransomware attack on part of its computer systems on Monday. Preliminary findings are that the incident involves the Cheung Sha Wan Vegetable Wholesale Market’s gate and accounting systems, which contain particulars of about 7,000 market users. The VMO is conducting an investigation to assess whether any personal data has been leaked and it will promptly notify affected individuals as necessary. The market is maintaining normal operations overall, with processes such as invoicing and payments being handled manually. The VMO has engaged an external contractor to expedite system restoration and assist with the investigation. Upon discovery of the incident, the VMO immediately suspended the operation of its network systems and disconnected relevant computer servers from external connections to prevent further hacker intrusion. The incident has been reported to the Police Force, the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. The VMO said it will conduct a comprehensive review of the incident and strengthen its information and network protection measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents. Call 2710 0964 or 2710 0931 for enquiries.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's fourth report under the Convention against Torture & Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is now available on the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau’s website. The Hong Kong SAR Government said today its report constitutes part of the report submitted by the People's Republic of China under the convention. The report sets out the progress made up until May 2024 in implementing the convention, after the Hong Kong SAR's submission of its previous report to the United Nations Committee against Torture in June 2013. It also responds to the committee’s concluding observations following a meeting on the previous report in November 2015. The report will be discussed by the committee at a future meeting.
The Security Bureau convened the first meeting of the Task Force against Illegal Employment today. The task force was established by the Security Bureau last month, comprising members from the Labour & Welfare Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Transport & Logistics Bureau, the Immigration Department, the Police Force, the Labour Department and the Transport Department. At the meeting, the task force discussed the current illegal employment situation and agreed to enhance interdepartmental co-ordination on various fronts, including formulating overall response strategies against illegal employment, boosting intelligence collection and intelligence exchange with the Mainland, enforcing laws rigorously, leveraging technology, and co-ordinating publicity and education. Task force convenor and Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said: “The establishment of the task force demonstrates the Government’s commitment and determination to combat illegal employment.” He encouraged citizens to report illegal employment-related activities by making use of the Immigration Department’s Dedicated Hotline for Reporting Illegal Workers at 3861 5000. “Since the launch of the hotline two weeks ago, the Immigration Department has already received over 100 reports.” The task force will combat illegal employment from various aspects, targeting individual key industries, Mr Tang added.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said today that it vehemently objects to groundless remarks about Hong Kong contained in the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report 2025. In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said it resolutely refutes categorically false and baseless remarks in the report regarding Hong Kong’s efforts to tackle trafficking in persons (TIP). It iterated that TIP has never been prevalent in Hong Kong, and that there has never been any sign that the city is used by syndicates as a destination or transit point for TIP. The statement added that the report’s rating of Hong Kong as a “Tier 2 (Watch List)” location is utterly unfair, without basis in fact, and a blatant attempt to smear Hong Kong’s reputation. The statement also highlighted that the Hong Kong SAR Government has long adopted a proactive, multi-pronged strategy in the fight against TIP, with substantial resources being injected into combatting TIP and enhancing protection for foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. Over the last year, it said, the Hong Kong SAR Government has continued to spare no effort in conducting initial screenings for all persons vulnerable to TIP risks who had come to the attention of relevant departments, including illegal immigrants, sex workers, illegal workers, FDHs, imported workers and other suspected victims. It conducted around 11,300 initial screenings last year, a 3% increase compared with the year prior, and identified eight TIP victims. Among these, seven were Hong Kong residents involved in employment fraud in Southeast Asian countries. The Hong Kong SAR Government said its swift actions in returning the residents to the city, identifying them as TIP victims, rigorously investigating their individual cases and prosecuting those implicated underscore its commitment to tackling the scourge of TIP. The statement emphasised that it is totally baseless for the report to cast doubt on the Hong Kong SAR Government’s determination to combat TIP and the quality of the city’s screenings simply because of the low number of victims identified. As a responsible member of the international community, the Hong Kong SAR Government remains steadfast in the fight against TIP, the statement added. The Hong Kong SAR Government also noted, with regard to unsubstantiated remarks in the report about a lack of composite trafficking legislation in Hong Kong, that the current legislative framework, which comprises over 50 legal provisions against various TIP infractions, provides a comprehensive package of safeguards comparable to composite TIP laws found in other jurisdictions. The statement stressed that every jurisdiction should have latitude to determine the best legal framework to tackle the issue and that there is simply no one-size-fits-all solution.