Led by the International Committee, the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management has been playing an active role in the international HR community since its inception.

HKIHRM is currently a member of the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management (APFHRM) and serving on its Council as the President. The APFHRM is the network of HR and people management associations’ representative countries in the Asia Pacific region. The countries / regions that form the federation are Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand.  As a collective, the Federation’s purpose is to advance the standing of the HR and people management profession within the region. It does this through its member representatives regularly meeting to exchange knowledge and research on best practice in HR.

APFHRM joined the World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) as a full member in June 1980. WFPMA is the most important global HR organization representing over 50 national HR institutes worldwide. Mr Eddie Ng, the Co-chairperson of the International Committee of the HKIHRM, had been the President of the WFPMA during 2000-2002. One of the most important projects WFPMA has undertaken is the "HR Competencies and Professional Standards Project". The ultimate objective of this project is to develop a worldwide definition of what an HR professional is and does in terms of a "global set of core competencies".