Healthy city: Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Carrie Lam speaks at the Building Healthy Kowloon City Association inauguration ceremony in Hung Hom.

All sectors of the community should work towards the goal of building a healthy and safe city to tie in with Hong Kong's staging of the 2008 Beijing Olympic & Paralympic Equestrian Events, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Carrie Lam says.

Speaking at the Building Healthy Kowloon City Association inauguration ceremony today, Mrs Lam said the Government fully supports the World Health Organisation'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, Kwai Tsing and Kwun Tong 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 organisations and the public. For a community to be designated as a safe community, it must meet all the six basic criteria set by WHO. For details click here.

Of the 111 communities and districts accredited by WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion, six are from Hong Kong - Tuen Mun, Kwai Tsing, Tai Po, Tsuen Wan, Sham Shui Po and Tung Chung. Mrs Lam hoped the excellent achievement by these districts will be a catalyst for greater community participation.