The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) announced today (November 30) that the free COVID-19 testing service will continue to be provided for eligible persons of targeted groups at community testing centres (CTCs). &… read more
The Narcotics Division (ND) of the Security Bureau (SB) reminds members of the public that cannabidiol (CBD) products may contain a dangerous drug, i.e. tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an addictive compound in cannabis. Law enforcement … read more
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong (CAD) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao (AACM) signed the Joint Maintenance Management Cooperation Arrangement (Cooperation Arrangement) in Shenzhen today (November 30). The new Cooperation Arrangement aims at enabling holders of aircraft maintenance licences issued by the three authorities to work in the aircraft maintenance organisations located in the three places. The Cooperation Arrangement was signed by Deputy Administrator of the CAAC Mr Hu Zhenjiang; the Director-General of the CAD, Mr Victor Liu; and the President of the AACM, Mr Chan Weng-hong.
The three parties established a Joint Maintenance Management (JMM) in 2001 as a platform to discuss and develop cooperation on matters related to continued airworthiness. Under the JMM, the Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Approval of Aircraft Maintenance Organisations and the Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Approval of Aircraft Maintenance Training Organisations were signed in 2006 and 2013 respectively. These two co-operation arrangements enabled aircraft maintenance organisations and aircraft maintenance training organisations located in the three places to flexibly provide services for the aviation industry.
Seizing the opportunities of the National 14th Five-Year Plan to facilitate efficient flow of personnel, expand mutual recognition of professional qualifications and foster the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the three parties further expanded the scope of co-operation through mutual acceptance of aircraft maintenance licence holders, with a view to providing employment opportunities for licence holders at aircraft maintenance organisations in the three places.
The Director-General of the CAD, Mr Victor Liu said, “The Cooperation Arrangement not only enables Hong Kong aircraft maintenance organisations to tap into a wider aircraft maintenance talent pool, it also offers more career opportunities to approximately 2 200 Hong Kong aircraft maintenance license holders and those aspiring to work in the industry. It will further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a leading international aviation hub.”
The Cooperation Arrangement will effectively optimise the sharing of training resources, minimise repetitive audits and facilitate the mobility of aircraft maintenance personnel in the three places. It also signifies an important milestone of closer and long-term co-operation amongst the three parties on aircraft maintenance management and will further boost the development of the aviation industry in the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.
Hip Hing Engineering Company Limited and Tai Wah Aluminium Engineering Company Limited were fined $60,000 and $140,000 respectively at Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today (November 30) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on February 23, 2021, at a building construction site at Queen’s Hill, Fanling. A worker was suspected to have fallen from height onto the first floor canopy of a building under construction while installing glass panes of aluminium windows in an upper floor unit of the building. The worker died in the accident. read more
Before the commencement of the second day of the 59th Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), a side event entitled “Dispute Settlement – Online Dispute Resolution” was held in the afternoon today (November 30).
In delivering her opening remarks at the side event, the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, said that the AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre has been established with a view to promoting the growth and effective functioning of, among others, online dispute resolution (ODR). She stressed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been fostering the development of ODR on various fronts, citing its opting into the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Collaborative Framework on ODR and the launch of the Inclusive Global Legal Innovation Platform on ODR as examples.
Ms Cheng further introduced to the participants the Workshop on ODR for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) trade organised with the support of the ASEAN Secretariat during Hong Kong Legal Week 2021 earlier this month in which international experts met to discuss the importance of ODR for cross-border trade.
A presentation was then given by the Chief Executive Officer of the eBRAM International ODR Centre, Ms Emmanuelle Ta, who highlighted the ODR platform and lawtech services provided by eBRAM that aim to meet the expanding demand for dispute resolution services across borders. It was followed by a video interview with the Vice-Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, Professor Mohamed Abdel Wahab, who shared with the audience his invaluable insights and experiences on ODR.
At the roundtable discussion, guest speakers from the legal and dispute resolution sectors had an in-depth discussion on issues related to the recourse and opportunities arising from ODR.
In his closing remarks at the side event, the Secretary-General of AALCO, Professor Kennedy Gastorn, noted the potential for the use of ODR for AALCO member states, particularly with reference to the experience of eBRAM and its procedural rules developed in accordance with the relevant framework of APEC. He also expressed his confidence that the newly established AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre could further advance the growth of ODR in the region and beyond.
Meetings of the AALCO member states’ delegations have been held after the side event and will continue tomorrow (December 1), with important international law topics in the Asian and African regions including “Upholding International Law for a Community of Shared Future: the Role of Asian and African Countries” and “International Law in Cyberspace” to be discussed by high-ranking diplomats and legal experts representing the member states as well as observer delegations representing governments and international organisations from across the globe. read more