Month: June 2026

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Government will introduce the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 (Bill) into the Legislative Council (LegCo) to make miscellaneous amendments to various enactments. The opportunity is also taken to make straightforward adaptation or amendment of provisions of, or references in, various enactments that are inconsistent with the constitutional status of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and to repeal obsolete provisions or references in various enactments.

     A spokesperson for the Department of Justice (DoJ) said today (June 24) that the Law Reform Commission Secretariat spearheaded the Systematic Review of Statutory Laws of Hong Kong in 2022 to handle, with priority, the adaptation of laws, while also attending to the consolidation of laws and repeal of obsolete laws. The DoJ already introduced two omnibus bills, one in 2024 and the other in 2025, on behalf of different policy bureaux, to deal with adaptation of laws amendments collectively. With the DoJ introducing legislative proposals under the present Bill, alongside any other  bill or amendment to subsidiary legislation taken forward in a timely manner by the relevant bureaux, it is promising that the target of completing the adaptation of laws exercise by the end of this term of Government can be met.

     The proposed amendments in the present Bill are largely minor, technical and non-controversial but are useful for the purpose of updating or improving the relevant enactments. The proposed amendments can be broadly categorised into two groups, namely those arising from the Systematic Review of Statutory Laws of Hong Kong, and those not so related. The Bill amends references such as “Crown”, “Governor”, “Her Majesty”, “Secretary of State”, “Government of the United Kingdom”, “foreign” or “overseas”, and also those to “Commonwealth” and legislation of the United Kingdom, among others, in various enactments. It also updates or amends certain texts, references or terminology in specific ordinances or subsidiary legislation. Furthermore, the Bill repeals a number of enactments or certain provisions or references therein, which have become obsolete, and makes minor or technical miscellaneous amendments to some enactments.

     The DoJ issued an information paper to the LegCo Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services last month, briefing members of the Panel on the major legislative proposals to be included in the Bill. The relevant policy bureaux and independent organisations have consulted the relevant stakeholders and no objection to the proposed amendments was received.

     The Bill will be gazetted on June 26 and will be introduced into the LegCo on July 8.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Michelle Tang and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
   
Question:

     In order to enhance the overall level of occupational safety and health (OSH) in Hong Kong and safeguard workers’ safety, the authorities have been promoting the optimal use of innovative technology in the construction industry for the implementation of the Smart Site Safety System (the System) in recent years. However, it has been reported that many frontline workers not only resist using technology-assisted equipment such as smart safety helmets, but even seek ways to evade monitoring by various smart devices. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) apart from the several new measures introduced in 2024 (including a labelling scheme and subsidies for the application of the System in private construction projects), of the additional measures the authorities have adopted over the past two years to promote the implementation of the System in the industry, including whether the authorities have allocated additional resources and strengthened training; whether the authorities have assessed the territory-wide coverage and actual effectiveness of the System and such measures; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) over the past two years, apart from using small unmanned aircraft to assist in stepping up OSH inspections, whether the authorities have adopted any other new technological equipment to step up site inspections, and provided more smart site-related OSH education and training to various stakeholders in the construction industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) in view of the behaviour of some frontline workers who evade monitoring by various smart devices, whether the authorities will discuss with the industry as soon as possible the corresponding strategies to further enhance OSH level at construction sites across Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Government, as a party responsible for public works projects and an advocate of site safety policies, attaches great importance to site safety. The Development Bureau (DEVB), as a major stakeholder for public works, maintains close co-operation with the Labour Department (LD) and other stakeholders to deliberate and implement various site safety measures, including driving the construction industry to fully adopt the Smart Site Safety System (4S) to enhance site safety. The 4S enables remote monitoring of high-risk activities of construction sites in real time (such as lifting operations, confined spaces work, and mobile machinery operations). It can detect hazards early and issue immediate alerts to prevent the occurrence of serious incidents. The 4S can analyse the safety performance data collected to identify the crux of potential safety hazards for formulating appropriate enhancement measures.

     Having consulted the LD, the reply to various parts of the question is as follows:

(1) The DEVB has required public works contracts exceeding $30 million to fully adopt the 4S since February 2023. Contractors are required to update and review the adoption of the 4S during monthly site safety management committee meetings with the resident site staff and take effective measures to ensure the 4S is properly adopted on site. Resident site staff will also check whether the 4S has been properly adopted in a continuous manner during site inspections.

     Regarding private works projects, to expedite full adoption of the 4S in the construction industry, the Government has introduced a series of enhanced measures since 2024 with a view to promoting the adoption of the 4S in private building works. The measures include:

(i) The Buildings Department (BD) has introduced mandatory measures since July 2024. Conditions will be imposed on building works under the Buildings Ordinance when the first approval for superstructure plans of private works projects or approval for major revisions of superstructure plans is granted. For building works with an estimated cost exceeding $30 million and involving the use of mobile plants and tower cranes, registered contractors should use the 4S Mobile Plant Alert System and Tower Crane Alert System. Since July 2025, the aforementioned mandatory requirements have been extended to demolition works, excavation and lateral support works, foundation works and site formation works. Even if the relevant mandatory requirements have not been imposed when the building plans of the private works projects are approved, the aforesaid requirements will also be imposed by the BD when the first consent for the commencement of building works is granted. The mandatory requirements are also applicable to additions and alterations projects involving structural works;

(ii) In May 2024, the DEVB and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) launched the 4S Labelling Scheme, under which labels are issued to construction sites that have been verified as properly adopting 4S. The 4S plaques are placed at conspicuous spots around construction sites that have been issued with the labels for identification and to facilitate monitoring of the construction sites without 4S labels by enforcement departments (such as the LD). The list of such construction sites is available at the CIC’s webpage (www.cic.hk/content/4s-labelling/en/project-list) for public inspection; 

(iii) The DEVB and the LD have established a notification mechanism. During site inspections, the LD will assess the adoption of the 4S at construction sites. If it is obvious that the sites with 4S labels issued have failed to adopt the 4S properly, the LD will notify the DEVB as soon as possible for referring the cases to the CIC for follow-up actions. The CIC will also conduct surprise inspections to check the adoption of the 4S of the construction sites with 4S labels issued. The 4S label of a construction site will be confiscated by the CIC if the site is found not having properly adopted the 4S. The above measure is also applicable to public works sites with 4S labels issued; 

(iv) The Government has been subsidising the adoption of the 4S at construction sites of private works projects (including works projects self-financed by public organisations) through the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund (CITF). The scope of subsidy under the CITF has been extended since May 2024 to cover the relevant additional expenses in various aspects of adopting the 4S, including network capacity upgrades, additional manpower employed for the 4S operation, maintenance and technical support arising from the use of the 4S. From September to November 2024, the applicant eligibility of the CITF has been extended to local mobile plant/tower crane rental companies. The subsidy ceiling for each company is $7.5 million to support the installation of danger zone alert system on their machinery; and 

(v) The Government has injected $1 billion again into the CITF in 2026, together with the CIC’s contribution of $400 million, bringing the total to $1.4 billion to continue supporting industry development and promoting the wider adoption of innovative construction methods and new technologies, including the 4S, in the industry.

     The CIC has stepped up its publicity efforts and arranged outreach teams to visit construction sites. These teams aim to promote the use of the 4S in the industry, and the financial support available through the CITF. In addition, the CIC prepares and proposes different types of 4S packages with a view to assisting the industry to choose appropriate devices under the 4S having regard to factors such as the different nature of works and site environment. The CIC has also provided 4S-related training courses, including Certificate in 4S Planning and Implementation and Certificate in Safety Supervision with 4S. The CIC has also incorporated 4S-related content into its safety conference, seminars and safety training courses for site personnel at different levels to enhance the awareness and attention to the 4S of relevant personnel.

     Currently, about 60 per cent of new construction projects and maintenance projects underway across the territory with a contract sum exceeding $30 million have adopted the 4S and been issued with labels. Since the introduction of the above-mentioned policy measures requiring construction sites to adopt the 4S or its related devices, the overall accident rate in the construction industry has dropped notably by approximately 20 per cent from 2023 to 2025, thus having a positive impact on site safety and providing workers with more comprehensive protection.

(2) The LD has started using small unmanned aircraft (SUA) to assist frontline officers in law enforcement work since October 2025. The SUA is used for aerial photography and videography of work sites. The captured images are used to generate three-dimensional photorealistic models to enhance the effectiveness of occupational safety and health inspections, accident investigations and evidence collection, etc. In addition, the LD has recently introduced the use of handheld point cloud scanners, allowing frontline staff to quickly and accurately scan the environment of the workplace under scenarios where drones cannot be used (such as congested areas, indoor areas, or restricted flying zones). The data collected by scanners can also be used to generate three-dimensional photorealistic models to assist in accident investigations and law enforcement.

     As the technology matures and the deployment of body-worn video cameras (BWVC) has become increasingly common in the construction industry, the DEVB has recently required the frontline staff of resident site staff and contractors in all public works contracts to equip with BWVCs during site inspections, with a view to effectively enhancing site supervision, safety management, quality control and works progress monitoring. 

     For enhancing the awareness and attention to the 4S of relevant personnel, the CIC has provided 4S-related training courses, please refer to the part (1) of the reply above.

(3) We understand that the situations where frontline workers resist the use of or attempt to evade monitoring by various smart devices are not common. We nevertheless will continue to closely monitor the situation and deliberate feasible measures to uplift site safety with industry stakeholders. In fact, every member of the project team plays a crucial role in ensuring site safety. Everyone has the responsibility to perform their own duties. The CIC has been proactively implementing measures to enhance the safety awareness of frontline personnel and nurturing a safety culture. The Government also appreciates that the CIC and industry stakeholders have reached a consensus and duly implemented the Frontline Personnel Safety Performance Recording Scheme applicable to frontline personnel of construction sites, aiming to let the frontline personnel to continuously take note on their safety performance during daily work, to praise and record the good behaviour of outstanding performers. It can also timely remind those whose safety behaviours need improvement. Specific safety performance improvement courses will be arranged for them outside working hours, with a view to helping frontline personnel to further enhance their safety awareness and site safety performance.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 23) arrested a model and toy shop sole proprietor on suspicion of engaging in wrongly accepting payments in the course of selling models and toys, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

Customs earlier received a number of reports alleging that someone sold models and toys through two physical shops and their respective online shops but failed to supply the ordered goods within the specified date or a reasonable period after accepting payments from customers. Also, no refund was offered in a timely manner. As of yesterday, the reports received by Customs involved 26 customers and 57 toy products, with the total amount involved being about $98,000.

After investigations, Customs officers yesterday arrested a 41-year-old man suspected to be connected with the case. He is the sole proprietor of the two shops concerned in Mong Kok.

An investigation is ongoing, and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation.

Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure products at reputable shops.

Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence if at the time of acceptance of payment, the trader intends not to supply the product or intends to supply a materially different product, or there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the trader will be able to supply the product within a specified or reasonable period. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Thomas So and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that the number of marketing calls reported in 2025 by the users of an unsolicited call reporting website amounted to 466 000, which represented an increase of nearly 220 000 from 241 000 calls in 2023. Among these cases, marketing calls promoting financial loans and banking investments increased by nearly 160 000 in two years, while calls involving estate sales doubled and those promoting body checks increased by 10 times. Recently, there has even been the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated Cantonese-speaking calls developed by suppliers from the Mainland, who claimed that up to 10 000 calls could be made each day. There are views that while the Government has been inclined to encourage self-regulation by the industry over the years, the data has reflected that such self-regulation is ineffective since the number of unsolicited marketing calls has been rising. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the existing objective indicators formulated by the Government for evaluating the effectiveness of the self-regulatory efforts made by the industry; whether the Government will consider introducing measures to curb the rising trend of unsolicited marketing calls, provided that normal business activities remain unaffected; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) while the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (Cap. 593) currently in force regulates facsimile messages, short messages and pre-recorded telephone messages, it does not cover marketing calls featuring AI-generated speeches, and given the relatively low cost of using AI for marketing purposes, will the Government consider studying the regulation of such marketing calls to prevent the number from growing out of control; and
 
(3) there are views that the increase in marketing calls is primarily caused by the collection and transfer of personal data of members of the public among business organisations for commercial and marketing purposes. While the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) stipulates that data subjects must be informed and their express consent be obtained before their personal data can be used in direct marketing, it is learnt that some service providers obtain customer consent by way of “bundled consent” (for example, the forms used for collecting personal data from customers are designed in such a way that renders it impracticable for customers to refuse the use of their personal data for direct marketing purposes unrelated to the services the customers seek, such collection of personal data contravenes the original intent of authorisation), whether the Government will step up efforts in regulating such practice of data transfer; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Telecommunications services are closely related to citizen’s livelihood, and are also one of the important means for businesses to reach out to members of the public. The Government understands that members of the public are concerned about unsolicited calls (commonly known as marketing calls) and scam calls. Considering the different nature of marketing calls and scam calls, the Government has introduced different measures targeting them respectively in an active response to public concerns. Regarding marketing calls, despite that different industries have adopted innovative modes to promote services and products, the Government understands that currently some enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, are still using voice marketing calls for promotional activities and service follow-up, etc. Therefore, there is a practical and legitimate need for enterprises to use marketing calls for their business operation. At present, marketing calls are handled differently around the world depending on local circumstances, including restriction-free, industry self-regulation and legislative regulation. Based on the experience in other regions, there are considerable challenges in the actual operation and enforcement of handling marketing calls through legislation (including how to distinguish unlawful marketing calls, evidence collection, cross-border enforcement and prosecution, etc). Under the overarching principle of balancing the practical needs of enterprises’ business operation and minimising nuisance caused to public by marketing calls, and considering that enterprises are undergoing transformation amid the prevailing economic environment, the Government believes that the more pragmatic approach in managing marketing calls is to promote industry self-regulation, while putting in place other industry collaborative and regulatory measures. In response to the question raised by Dr the Hon Thomas So, in consultation with the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA), our reply is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) To alleviate the nuisance caused by marketing calls, the Government has implemented a series of measures, including:
 
(i) Through the Industry Regulatory Scheme for Marketing Calls, OFCA has proactively invited relevant industries to implement industry self-regulation, including requiring telemarketers to provide their names and contact numbers upon recipients’ requests, as well as limiting the number of calls made to the same telephone number within a specified period. Currently, 12 industry associations from seven industries (including finance, insurance, telecommunications, call centres, beauty, estate agencies, and money lenders) are participating in the Scheme. Since the relevant industry associations issued their sector-specific codes of practice in 2011, the number of enquiries and complaints related to marketing calls received by the Government has significantly reduced from around 2 000 cases in 2012 to around 270 cases in 2025, reflecting that the measure is effective to a certain extent. The Government will continue to engage relevant stakeholders and various industries to further expand the scope of the Scheme with more industries participating in industry self-regulation;
 
(ii) OFCA has requested telecommunications service providers (TSPs) to provide call-management services or call-filtering applications to their customers. Subscribers to these services may personalise or use the pre-set black and/or white lists provided by mobile service providers to filter all incoming calls, including anonymous calls, to minimise suspicious and nuisance calls. Currently, the four major TSPs are providing the above services as required, and some even offer free call filtering value-added services to all or some of their customers (e.g. customers aged 60 or above). OFCA has encouraged the use of call-management services and call-filtering applications through various publicity and education activities, and has also helped members of the public in need download and use relevant filtering applications during the public education and promotional activities. Between January 2023 and May 2026, OFCA has organised a total of 366 public education and publicity activities, including 52 roving and small-scale exhibitions, 126 community and school talks, 70 school drama performances, 56 roadshows, 36 mobile promotion truck tours and 26 publicity activities in other forms, to promote relevant messages to residents and students across all districts; and
 
(iii) Unsolicited electronic messages are currently regulated by the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (Cap. 593) (UEMO), members of the public can choose to unsubscribe from commercial electronic messages (e.g. faxes, emails, short messages, pre-recorded telephone messages, etc) at their own will. Regarding artificial intelligence (AI)-generated marketing calls, regardless if they are pre-recorded using human or AI-generated voices, all of them are currently regulated under the UEMO, unless they involve person-to-person interactive communication. In other words, if the caller conducts the entire phone call solely by AI without any person-to-person interaction, i.e. fully AI-powered telephone voice messages, it will be subject to the UEMO. Furthermore, in view of the increasing prevalence of AI-generated marketing calls originating from the Mainland, OFCA communicated with the relevant Mainland authorities in March this year to reflect relevant concerns and to explain the requirement of the UEMO to enterprises in the Mainland, strengthening co-operation in tackling unsolicited electronic messages between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. Currently, marketing calls with AI-generated elements only account for a very small fraction of UEMO reports. According to records, among the 831 reports of alleged contravention of the UEMO received by OFCA in 2025, there were only 10 reports in which the complainants alleged the use of AI in those pre-recorded telephone messages. That said, OFCA will continue to closely monitor the development in AI and review the implementation effectiveness of the UEMO to ensure that the UEMO keeps pace with the times.
 
     In addition, OFCA has implemented a series of measures from the perspective of telecommunications services to assist the Police in combating phone deception at the source. Among these measures, according to the Code of Practice formulated by the Communications Authority, TSPs are required to monitor calls and SMS messages originated from their networks and systems. TSPs must suspend the services of the relevant local telephone numbers once suspicious calling or SMS-sending patterns are identified (e.g. making a large number of calls/sending a large number of SMS within a short period of time), regardless of whether such calls and SMS messages are generated by an AI system. As at end May 2026, over 1.59 million local telephone numbers have been suspended as a result. The Government will continue to closely monitor market developments to ensure that the current regulatory mechanisms can respond to the needs of society.
 
(3) Regarding Member’s concern that there are commercial enterprises obtaining customers’ agreement in using their personal data for business or promotional purposes by “bundling”, the Guidance on Direct Marketing published by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has already reminded data users not to design a service application form in such a way as to render it impracticable for customers to refuse the use of their personal data for direct marketing purposes (such as the so-called “bundled consent”). Instead, data users are advised to design a service application form that separates customers’ agreement to terms and conditions of the services being purchased from customers’ agreement in using their personal data for direct marketing.
 
     As for telecommunications services, OFCA has not received any complaints regarding TSPs obtaining “bundled consent” in their service contracts. If members of the public have any concerns on the matter, OFCA will actively follow up with TSPs. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Maggie Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
 
Question:
 
     The SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government is committed to developing Hong Kong into a leading international arbitration centre in the Asia-Pacific region and has been actively welcoming international and mainland arbitration institutions to establish their bases in Hong Kong. Currently, there are at least nine arbitration institutions in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the Government has provided any direct financial assistance, manpower resources or facilities to those arbitration institutions to support their daily operation in the past three years; if so, of the beneficiary institutions, forms of support and the amount involved each year; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) how the Government assesses the effectiveness of its work in promoting Hong Kong as an international arbitration centre in the past three years, and whether it has set relevant performance indicators for this purpose; and
 
(3) in the face of strong competition from international arbitration centres such as Singapore and London, of the Government’s medium- to long-term positioning for Hong Kong as an international arbitration hub; and of the new measures it will introduce to further encourage and consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an arbitration centre, so as to enhance its arbitration efficiency?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In response to the questions raised by the Hon Maggie Chan, the reply is as follows:
 
(1) Currently, all arbitration institutions in Hong Kong operate entirely independently. With the exception of eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre Limited (eBRAM), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has not provided any direct financial assistance or human resources to support the day-to-day operations of these institutions in the past three years. These institutions primarily finance their operation through case management fees, membership fees and administrative fees to ensure their independence and neutrality.
 
     In response to the COVID-19 Online Dispute Resolution Scheme established under the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund, in 2020, the Government allocated $70 million to and appointed eBRAM as the service provider of the Scheme. The Scheme ended on September 30, 2023, and the mediator and arbitrator fees ($20 million) covered by the allocation were refunded to the Government upon the conclusion of the Scheme. In January 2021, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved a funding of $100 million to eBRAM for the establishment of an online dispute resolution platform. According to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Government and eBRAM, the funding has been disbursed in phases starting from 2021. As of February 2026, the Government had disbursed approximately $87 million out of the said funding to eBRAM. It is eBRAM’s aim to operate on a self-financing basis after the conclusion of the Government funding.
 
     Regarding the provision of facilities by the Government, since November 2020, the Government has established the Hong Kong Legal Hub to provide office space for international and local legal and dispute resolution institutions. If an arbitration institution’s application as a tenant of the Legal Hub is accepted, the Government will provide corresponding office facility to support that institution to develop its services in Hong Kong, for deepening international exchanges and co-operation, creating synergies, and consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong’s unique advantages as an international legal hub.
 
(2) The Government has been committed to promoting Hong Kong as an international arbitration centre through various initiatives and activities. Key initiatives include:
 
(i) The Department of Justice (DoJ) established the Working Group on Arbitration Law Reform in October 2025. The Working Group provides advice to the DoJ on the legal framework for arbitration in Hong Kong, including reviewing and making recommendations to amend the Arbitration Ordinance, with a view to advancing the relevant legislative amendment work within 2026. 

(ii) With effect from March 1, 2025, the Government regularised and refined the Pilot Scheme on Facilitation for Persons Participating in Arbitral Proceedings in Hong Kong, and renamed it to the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Persons Participating in Arbitral Proceedings in Hong Kong (Scheme). Under the Scheme, persons in possession of a “Letter of Proof” issued by a designated arbitral and dispute resolution institution or a venue provider proving that they are eligible persons participating in arbitral proceedings seated in Hong Kong are permitted to do so as visitors without the need to obtain an employment visa. The regularised and refined Scheme expands the categories of eligible persons and covers all arbitrations physically taking place in Hong Kong, offering parties to the arbitration and legal practitioners great convenience and more choices of arbitrators, legal experts and related professionals, thus further enhancing Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a seat or destination of arbitration. 

     Regarding the promotion of Hong Kong’s arbitration services, the Government has been actively promoting its high-quality arbitration services through organising the Hong Kong Legal Week, co-organising with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council thematic breakout sessions on dispute resolution at the Belt and Road Summit and the Business of Intellectual Property Asia Forum, and co-organising with Vis East Moot Foundation the Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot.
 
     The Government has not established a set of rigid key performance indicators for arbitration-related initiatives. The effectiveness of arbitration-related initiatives involves multiple aspects, and the actual benefits are difficult to quantify. However, international recognition can directly reflect the effectiveness of the current initiatives. For instance, in the 2025 Queen Mary University of London International Arbitration Survey, Hong Kong was selected as the most preferred arbitration seat in the Asia-Pacific region and ranked second globally alongside Singapore, fully reflecting the effectiveness of current initiatives. The Government will continue to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of current initiatives and conduct timely reviews in light of industry feedback and international developments.
 
(3) Faced with fierce international competition, the Government is implementing a multi-pronged approach to further consolidate Hong Kong’s leading position in arbitration and enhance arbitration efficiency. In terms of legal system and infrastructure, through the Working Group on Arbitration Law Reform established in 2025, the Government is continuously enhancing the Arbitration Ordinance, to comprehensively ensure that Hong Kong’s arbitration system responds promptly to global trends and remains at the forefront of international developments. Furthermore, the Government is planning the construction of the Hong Kong International Legal Service Building, aiming to bring together the facilities such as the headquarter of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and international legal and dispute resolution institutions, in order to create synergy and provide arbitration parties with more comprehensive arbitration facilities. 
 
     At the same time, through the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and the visa policy facilitating arbitration professionals to participate in proceedings in Hong Kong, the Government is actively cultivating local talent and attracting top international talent, and strengthening co-operation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to promote talent exchange and align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan in supporting Hong Kong to deepen its position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre and to build an international hub for high-calibre talent.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Lam Chun-sing and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
      
Question:

     The Construction Industry Security of Payment Ordinance (the Ordinance) aims to improve the problem of payment delays in the construction industry and provide protection for various stakeholders to receive their entitled payment on time, thereby helping reduce the occurrence of wage arrears of workers. Regarding the implementation of the Ordinance since its commencement, will the Government inform this Council: 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region