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Hong Kong Jockey Club forms philanthropy commission with 9 other Asian charity foundations

Founding members from Hong Kong, mainland China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, India and Japan to address Asia’s development challenges

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Founding commissioners of the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, which comprises charity foundations from five Asian countries. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has joined hands with nine foundations to launch the Commission on Asian Philanthropy in a bid to develop more effective solutions for the continent’s socio-economic and environmental challenges and address the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs) for 2030.

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The commission, with 10 founding members from Hong Kong, mainland China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, India and Japan, was established as Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged to boost the city’s status as a global charity hub by developing family office businesses to attract philanthropic investment.

The commission was co-convened by the Institute of Philanthropy and the Asia Philanthropy Congress.

Taking what it called an “in Asia, for Asia” approach, the commission will aim to develop strategies to “professionalise” philanthropic efforts to help diverse societies across the continent.

“If you look at the five countries represented here, this is more than half of humanity … and also represents the most dynamic economic force of the coming century,” Gabriel Leung, the club’s executive director of charities and community, said.

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He added that the commission “could really change how we think about the most intractable challenges” set down in the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals.

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