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CONFIDENTIAL
c) avoid prejudicing important British interests in Hong
Kong involving UN bodies (especially ICAO).
4.
In view of these developments it has been decided:
a) to omit the section on Hong Kong which is currently in
preparation for a report under ECOSOC Resolution 624(XXII)
This on Human Rights in Non Self-Governing Territories. section could be omitted without putting HMG in breach of Charter or Treaty obligations;
b) to refrain from mentioning Hong Kong in any ad hoc reports
which the UN may call for, unless specifically asked, in which case we would probably have to comply. If asked for an explanation of these omissions, we could simply state that there was no legal obligation to report;
c) to continue to comply with our reporting obligations in
respect of Hong Kong under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, until it is clear that we shall be challenged. The CPR has not ratified the Convention and is not represented on the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD);
d) we should continue to comply with our reporting
responsibilities under the Constitutions of the ILO, ICAO and other UN Specialised Agencies, and under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, until we are successfully challenged;
e) in general, in the absence of a specific challenge we should
fulfil our Treaty obligations to report but where there is no such obligation we should consider each case on its merits when it arises.
T W Keeble
United Nations Department
CONFIDENTIAL
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