The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government urged on Friday all sectors of the community to work towards the goal of building a healthy and safe city to tie in with Hong Kong's staging of the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events.

Speaking at the Building Healthy Kowloon City Association inauguration ceremony, Hong Kong Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Carrie Lam said the HKSAR government fully supports the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Healthy City and Safe Community Initiatives.

The Healthy City Initiative was launched in 1986, with the Alliance for Healthy Cities established in 2004 in the Western Pacific region to promote support and co-operation among member cities.

Sai Kung and Kwai Tsing, which are all in the New Territories, and Kwun Tong in Kowloon, have already registered as members of the alliance, with the first two being the founding members. Several other districts are preparing for similar registration.

The Safe Community Initiative aims to boost safety through close collaboration among the government, local organizations and the public. For a community to be designated as a safe community, it must meet all the six basic criteria set by WHO.

Of the 111 communities and districts accredited by WHO Collaborating Center on Community Safety Promotion, six are from Hong Kong. Lam said he hoped the excellent achievement by these districts will be a catalyst for greater community participation.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2007)