The Government set up the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education in 1986 to promote civic awareness and responsibilities in the community.

    In 2002, the committee focused its efforts in promoting good citizenship, civic responsibilities, building a caring and harmonious society, volunteer services, respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as better understanding of Chinese culture and heritage and the Basic Law.

    The committee launched a series of television animation programme and a website to promote various civic education themes. Other promotional activities included telephone hotline stories, special features in newspapers and seminars on the Basic Law. Civic education reference materials including newsletters for young school children, a comic series on civic education and a 2003 calendar on good citizenship were produced during the year. The committee also conducted a survey to gauge the public's knowledge of the various aspects of civic education and measure changes in people's attitudes towards civic responsibilities and community participation.

    The committee continued to implement the Community Participation Scheme with the aim of encouraging more community organisations to organise civic education activities at the district level.