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Saturday, May 10, 2025
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12 more civil servants join UN program
Twelve more young Hong Kong civil servants will work in the United Nations for two years, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan says.
Recommended by China's ministry of foreign affairs, they are the second group of civil servants sent to the UN since the SAR government joined the UN's junior professional officer program in 2019.
The first batch included five young civil servants.
The 12 civil servants, who went to the UN early this year, will work at different UN institutions for two years as a member of the Chinese team, Yeung wrote on Facebook yesterday.
"I hope they can shine on the international stage and pass their experiences to other young civil servants upon their return to Hong Kong," Yeung said.
"So Hong Kong will have more and more 'super-connectors' with international vision and familiar with development opportunities in the mainland and Hong Kong."
Among the group is Olivia Chan Kaai-tung, a chemist at government laboratory. Chan will go to Kenya later this month to work for a United Nations environment program. Due to be based in Nairobi, she will work in the program headquarters to help in chemical use and health.
Joining the government in 2018, Chan has been working as a chemist in the Water Supplies Department and government laboratory to analyze water and air quality.
She said her work has been "to provide analytical services to government departments regarding environmental protection, consumers' rights protection and to support the law enforcement by the Environmental Protection Department, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Customs."
Chan believes that she will join others in Nairobi to work to reduce pollution from chemical products and wastes as well as collaborating with other governments, industries and organizations to find a way to manage chemical and waste pollution effectively.
Chan said she is happy to have been selected to participate in the UN program, expressing thanks to China's ministry of foreign affairs and its office in Hong Kong, and the Civil Service Bureau for giving her the opportunity.
The chemist has set for herself three goals for the next two years: broaden her vision, get more experience and encourage more civil servants to join UN work in the future.
"This will be my first time to travel to Kenya and Africa. I have taken the vaccine for yellow fever, as well as jabs for other diseases including typhoid fever and epidemic meningitis," she said as she looked forward to the journey.
The first batch included five young civil servants.
The 12 civil servants, who went to the UN early this year, will work at different UN institutions for two years as a member of the Chinese team, Yeung wrote on Facebook yesterday.
"I hope they can shine on the international stage and pass their experiences to other young civil servants upon their return to Hong Kong," Yeung said.
"So Hong Kong will have more and more 'super-connectors' with international vision and familiar with development opportunities in the mainland and Hong Kong."
Among the group is Olivia Chan Kaai-tung, a chemist at government laboratory. Chan will go to Kenya later this month to work for a United Nations environment program. Due to be based in Nairobi, she will work in the program headquarters to help in chemical use and health.
Joining the government in 2018, Chan has been working as a chemist in the Water Supplies Department and government laboratory to analyze water and air quality.
She said her work has been "to provide analytical services to government departments regarding environmental protection, consumers' rights protection and to support the law enforcement by the Environmental Protection Department, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Customs."
Chan believes that she will join others in Nairobi to work to reduce pollution from chemical products and wastes as well as collaborating with other governments, industries and organizations to find a way to manage chemical and waste pollution effectively.
Chan said she is happy to have been selected to participate in the UN program, expressing thanks to China's ministry of foreign affairs and its office in Hong Kong, and the Civil Service Bureau for giving her the opportunity.
The chemist has set for herself three goals for the next two years: broaden her vision, get more experience and encourage more civil servants to join UN work in the future.
"This will be my first time to travel to Kenya and Africa. I have taken the vaccine for yellow fever, as well as jabs for other diseases including typhoid fever and epidemic meningitis," she said as she looked forward to the journey.
