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Diversity list: Foundation to publish list of ethnic minority representatives willing to serve on government committees

Zubin Foundation founder wants to prod the administration to use more non-Chinese Asians to help it make decisions

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Shalini Mahtani wants the government to appoint more ethnic minority representatives on advisory committees. Photo: May Tse

The city’s first “diversity” list – profiles of ethnic minority Hongkongers qualified and willing to join government advisory boards – is being published on Monday in a move to encourage inclusion in the making of government decisions.

The list of 16 final candidates will be announced by the Zubin Foundation think tank as the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Hong Kong ethnic minorities fall through the cracks

The think tank will also reveal that just 0.4 per cent of the 1,500 people on 100 government advisory bodies were of either non-Chinese or non-white descent.

“How can we be Asia’s world city without any Asians – apart from Chinese – on these committees? Clearly we need Asians,” said Shalini Mahtani, founder of the Zubin Foundation, which developed the list in partnership with global executive search and leadership consultancy Spencer Stuart on a pro-bono basis.

Mahtani called the list a tool for the government in making its advisory boards more diverse and representative of society.

She said that until now, there had been no evidence that the government had intentionally excluded ethnic minorities.

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