Plea for HK$5m gets cold shoulder from officials
A Hong Kong charity has successfully bid to host a major conference on child abuse, but the government has refused to provide funding, despite its policy to turn the city into an international events capital.
The government paid HK$250 million to host the WTO ministerial conference last year and HK$87 million for the ITU Telecom World last month. A further HK$25 million has been set aside for the 59th Session of the International Statistical Institute to be held in 2013.
But Against Child Abuse, which is to host the 17th International Congress of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect - the world's leading group in child protection based in Chicago - said its request for funding had been turned down. The event is scheduled to run from September 7 to 10 next year at the Convention and Exhibition Centre.
About 1,000 delegates from 120 countries, including social workers, counsellors, nurses, psychiatrists, lawyers, police officers, academics and judges, will attend.
Priscilla Lui, director of Against Child Abuse, said: 'When we first bid to host the congress last year, we briefed the Social Welfare Department and they very much endorsed our move. But when we asked whether the government could offer us any financial support, officials said funds were not available.