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HKPA Background

Launched on 22 September 2004, the HKPA is a network of grass-root organizations which include trade unions, community labour groups and organisations that represent migrant workers, students, women, church, human rights, research organisations and regional organisations that are based locally in Hong Kong.

At present the HKPA has 31 organisations which include regional groups like: Asian Student Association (ASA), Documentation for Action Groups in Asia (DAGA), Christian Conference of Asia: Urban Rural Mission (CCA-URM), and Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC).

Local groups are the following: The Neighbourhood and Workers Service Centre, The Pioneer, Union of Hong Kong Post Office Employees, Association of Government Technical And Survey Officers, Frontline Welfare Employees Union, Globalization Monitor, Global Network, Government Mod 1 Staff General Union, Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), Consumers Acting for People & the Environment, Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese, Student Christian Movement of Hong Kong.

There are also member groups of or working on migrant workers, namely: Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), Asian Migrants Centre, Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB), Coalition for Migrants Right (CMR), Far East Overseas Nepalese Association- Hong Kong (FEONA-HK), Indonesian Migrants Workers Union (IMWU), Philippines Domestic Helpers General Union (PDHGU), and The Hong Kong Indonesian Migrant Workers Organization (KOTKIHO).

Please see our Members Page for a more complete list.

The HKPA’s main objectives are:

1. Derail WTO’s attempt to conclude agreements which aim to further liberalise trade and investment;

2. Pressurise Hong Kong government to engage civil society in its negotiations within the WTO by providing periodic updates, briefings and consultations on contents and agenda of the meeting;

3. Raise the consciousness of local NGOs on the essence of so-called free trade as campaigned for by the WTO so as to raise local awareness on the unjust distribution of global economic power;

4. Promote local anti-privatization campaign;

5. Arouse concern of the impact on Chinese working people since China’s accession of the WTO.

International Coordinating Network (ICN)

On February 26-27 this year, the HKPA organized an International Coordinating Network Meeting at the City University, HK. The first day activities focused on updates on WTO and responses from the civil society, followed by thematic workshops & sector issue workers. A few photos are available in our Photo Gallery.

Reporting and planning from the workshop groups were done on the second day. Here is a list of the sectoral workshops together with the contact person (where available):

1. Children

2. Fisher folk - Contact Person: Gerardo Corpuz of Pamalakaya (Philippines) [pampil skyinet.net]

3. Indigenous people

4. Labour - Contact Person: K L Kwok (HKCTU) [klkwok hkctu.org.hk]

5. Migrants - Contact Person: Tatcee Macabuag (Migrant Forum in Asia) [mfa pacific.net.hk], Rex Verona (AMC) [rexv asian-migrants.org], and Eman (United Filipinos in Hong Kong) [secretariat unifil.org.hk]

6. Peasants/farmers

7. Religious/Interfaith - Contact Person: Joseph Widyatmadja (facilitator) (CCA-URM) [josefpw cca.org.hk]

8. Women - Contact Person: Gigi Francisco (IGTN) [jfrancisco mc.edu.ph]

9. Trade, security, and development - Contact Person: Ramon Bultron (APMM) [apmm hknet.com]

10. Youth and Students - Contact Person: Lee Khai Loon (ASA) [asasec netvigator.com]

For the thematic workshops:

1. AoA - Contact Person: Minnie Lopez (National Federation of Peasant Women - Philippines) [mightyminnie gmail.com]

2. FTA - Contact Person: Omana George (AMRC) [omana amrc.org.hk]

3. GATS - Contact Person: Mary Lou Malig (Focus on the Global South) [marylou focusweb.org]

4. NAMA - Contact Person: Gigi Francisco (IGTN) [jfrancisco mc.edu.ph]

5. TRIPS

Finally, the Working Groups (later merged with existing HKPA Working Groups):

1. Action and Mobilization - Contact Person: Tam Chun Yin (HKCTU) [yintam hkctu.org.hk]

2. Documentation - Contact Person: Sharon Schroeder (DAGA) [sharon daga.org.hk]

3. Education and Local Mobilization - Contact Person: Suzanne Wu (HKPA) [hkpaowto yahoo.com.hk]

4. Hong Kong Government Monitoring - Contact Person: Au Loong Yu (Globalization Monitor) [aly8964 hotmail.com]

5. Logistics and Finance - Contact Person: Elizabeth Tang (HKCTU) [elizabeth hkctu.org.hk]

6. Media and Publicity - Contact Person: Rey Asis (ASA) [reyasis1 yahoo.com]

7. Outreach - Contact Person: Lee Khai Loon (ASA) [asasec netvigator.com]

8. Programme - Contact Person: Ah Tat (HKCTU) [mungsiutat hkctu.org.hk]

For other information, please e-mail HKPA.

Statements and Position Papers

– Open Letter to Donald Tsang: A Call on Our Government to Affirm Peoples’ Rights to Speak Up (July 10, 2005)
-The July 1^st Voice of Hong Kong’s People (June 27, 2005)
- Plan of actions revealed: HK People Will Ready For WTO Ministerial 6 (May 17, 2005).