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OFFICIAL LANGUAGES DIVISION

(22/F and 23/F, High Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong)

Chinese and English are the official languages of Hong Kong. Committed to openness and accountability, the Government produces important documents in both English and Chinese. Correspondence with individual members of the public is always in the language appropriate to the recipients. Simultaneous interpretation in English / Cantonese / Putonghua is made available to meetings of the Legislative Council and Government boards and committees as needed.

The Official Languages Division monitors the implementation of the Government's language policy in the Civil Service. It is responsible for :

  • providing translation, interpretation and editing services to Government bureaux and departments;
  • developing the institutional arrangements for the use of official languages in the Civil Service, including setting guidelines, reviewing Civil Service language practices, and providing language advisory services to bureaux and departments;
  • promoting the effective use of the official languages in the Civil Service by compiling reference materials and producing writing aids, providing support services, and giving input to language training programmes;
  • monitoring the use of the official languages and the implementation of the language policy in bureaux and departments; and
  • managing and developing the Official Languages Officer, Simultaneous Interpreter and Calligraphist Grades.

The Division is under the purview of the Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service 1, who is assisted by the Principal Official Languages Officer in the administration of the Division.