The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:

     Notices on the nomination and appointment of the Returning Officer for the sixth term Chief Executive Election were published in the Gazette today (January 27).

     The Chief Executive Election will be held on March 27. The nomination period will run from February 20 to March 5.

     A Hong Kong Special Administrative Region permanent resident who is a Chinese citizen, with no right of abode in any foreign country, has reached 40 years of age and has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 20 years, is eligible for nomination as a candidate. Details on the eligibility and disqualification for nomination as a candidate are set out in sections 13 and 14 respectively of the Chief Executive Election Ordinance.

     A candidate's nomination must be subscribed by not less than 188 members of the Election Committee (EC), with not less than 15 members of the EC in each of the five sectors.

     Mr Justice Keith Yeung Kar-hung, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, has been appointed by the Electoral Affairs Commission as the Returning Officer for the election.

     A candidate must submit the completed nomination form in person to the Returning Officer at City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central, from 9am to 5pm on Mondays to Fridays, and from 9am to noon on Saturdays, during the nomination period. Nomination forms are available at the Registration and Electoral Office (REO), on 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, and can be downloaded from the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk). Nomination forms are also available at City Gallery during the nomination period.

     Separately, pursuant to section 4A(5)(b) of the Electoral Procedure (Chief Executive Election) Regulation (Cap. 541J), in deciding whether a candidate is validly nominated, the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC) may require the candidate to furnish any other information that the CERC considers appropriate to be satisfied as to the validity of the nomination. The CERC now requests each nominee to complete and return the Candidate Eligibility Review Supplementary Information Form. The Supplementary Information Form is distributed together with the nomination forms and can be downloaded from the REO website. Nominees should put the completed Supplementary Information Form in a separate and sealed envelope and hand it in person, together with the nomination form, to the office of the Returning Officer for onward transmission of the Supplementary Information Form to the CERC Secretariat during the nomination period. Nominees can also choose to submit the completed Supplementary Information Form directly to the CERC Secretariat as soon as possible but no later than noon on March 5 through any of the following means:

1. email to cerc_secretariat@cerc.gov.hk;
2. fax to 2677 7301; or
3. return to the drop-in box of the CERC Secretariat at the entrance on 2/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong.

 
     In view of the latest epidemic situation, if any EC member is at a quarantine centre or a designated quarantine hotel and would like to nominate a candidate before the close of the nomination period, the EC member can call the REO hotline 2891 1001 for assistance.

     For enquiries, please call the election hotline on 2891 1001.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, January 27, 2022 is 95.3 (up 0.2 against yesterday's index).

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 27) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 730 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from the Netherlands in the first nine months of last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Dutch authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

     The Civil Service College (CSC) today (January 27) held the first talk of the series on the country's foreign affairs jointly with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (OCMFA) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The talk, which was on the topic of "In-depth Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy for a Brighter Future of Hong Kong", was delivered via video-conferencing by the Director-General of the Policy Planning Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Mr Miao Deyu. The talk was also attended by Deputy Commissioner of OCMFA Mr Yang Yirui. 
      
     Addressing the talk, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, said that in the macro environment of the new era, it is very important for civil servants, in particular senior officials, to acquire a better understanding of the national development strategy and the evolving international landscape, as well as broaden their horizons and enhance their sensitivity. It is also important for them to act in concert with the HKSAR Government to fully implement the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", and ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems" when performing their duties, so that Hong Kong can play its due role and make a greater contribution to the national development. 
      
     Mr Nip said the CSC will reinforce the sense of national identity among civil servant colleagues and deepen their capability for broad and strategic thinking through various trainings, including strengthening collaboration with the OCMFA to run a series of monthly talks on the country's foreign affairs, which will be delivered by relevant officials of the MFA. The talks will cover various topics so as to deepen civil servants' understanding of the international scene and the country's positioning, which in turn will enable them to act in better concert with the country's foreign affairs policy in handling the relevant areas of work.
      
     "This is a key training programme for the CSC since its establishment. We attach great importance to this programme and we are grateful for the strong support from the OCMFA," he said.
      
     About 220 civil servants in the directorate and senior ranks took part in today's talk. They joined the talk mostly through online access in light of the latest social distancing measures.

    

     The Civil Service College (CSC) today (January 27) held the first talk of the series on the country's foreign affairs jointly with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (OCMFA) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The talk, which was on the topic of "In-depth Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy for a Brighter Future of Hong Kong", was delivered via video-conferencing by the Director-General of the Policy Planning Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Mr Miao Deyu. The talk was also attended by Deputy Commissioner of OCMFA Mr Yang Yirui. 
      
     Addressing the talk, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, said that in the macro environment of the new era, it is very important for civil servants, in particular senior officials, to acquire a better understanding of the national development strategy and the evolving international landscape, as well as broaden their horizons and enhance their sensitivity. It is also important for them to act in concert with the HKSAR Government to fully implement the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", and ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems" when performing their duties, so that Hong Kong can play its due role and make a greater contribution to the national development. 
      
     Mr Nip said the CSC will reinforce the sense of national identity among civil servant colleagues and deepen their capability for broad and strategic thinking through various trainings, including strengthening collaboration with the OCMFA to run a series of monthly talks on the country's foreign affairs, which will be delivered by relevant officials of the MFA. The talks will cover various topics so as to deepen civil servants' understanding of the international scene and the country's positioning, which in turn will enable them to act in better concert with the country's foreign affairs policy in handling the relevant areas of work.
      
     "This is a key training programme for the CSC since its establishment. We attach great importance to this programme and we are grateful for the strong support from the OCMFA," he said.
      
     About 220 civil servants in the directorate and senior ranks took part in today's talk. They joined the talk mostly through online access in light of the latest social distancing measures.