Opinion | The new code of conduct brings transparency to the conduct of Hong Kong civil servants

Reforming a team of 180,000 employees in a rapidly changing political and social environment is a daunting task, as reflected in the recent review of Hong Kong’s long-standing Civil Service Code of Conduct. While the changes are merely in line with expectations in a new era of governance, their repercussions will still be felt beyond the establishment, which is understandable.

The updated code outlines 12 core values ​​and characteristics that employees should reflect, including: respect for the constitutional order and national security; be people-oriented; demonstrate passion for public service; be devoted to duty; attach importance to the rule of law; have integrity; be politically neutral; professional; show team spirit; focus on results; responsibility for results; and respect confidentiality.

In today’s context, the rules seem fair enough. Indeed, there has long been a need to strengthen awareness of state security, even before the adoption of the National Security Act and Art. 23 of the Basic Law.

Other requirements, including political neutrality, have been extended.

Clarifications that civil servants should always support the chief executive and government policies resolved confusion about the importance of political neutrality.

Employees must also exercise caution when commenting on government policy in a private capacity and ensure that their views are not taken as official statements. They are strongly advised to consult the authorities if they are to be questioned in their capacity as a public official.

Understandably, this raises questions about whether individual employees can speak out on personal matters.

In fact, employees of private companies also face disciplinary risk for openly criticizing their own companies and employers. The higher the position, the more careful one’s behavior and remarks should be.

The same applies to the civil service and public authorities. Within the enterprise, government employees must be more careful when exercising their personal rights.

The need for loyalty does not mean that employees are not allowed to express different views while working. The Code clearly states that civil servants, provided they act in good faith and in a professional manner, have a duty to express their views honestly to their superiors in internal discussions.

This spirit is essential for good political deliberation and good governance.

The civil service has played a key role in Hong Kong’s success under the “one country, two systems” formula. Now that the code has been made public, authorities should intensify its education and promotion to ensure that all government employees faithfully adhere to the letter and spirit of what was established.