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State) and Article 12(2)(a) of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (which requires the Contracting Parties to take steps to reduce the still-birth rate).
5. With all these considerations in mind, I suggest that we should make an addition to paragraph 9 of the draft statement which is to be associated with our draft Agreement. It could read
G
"The Government of Hong Kong (China) may secure within the Special Administrative Region, by law or otherwise, the continued enjoyment of the rights and freedoms established by the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The use of the word "continued" would, I think, give Hong Kong (China) sufficient latitude to maintain those reservations which at present apply to Hong Kong.
7. Runows
F Burrows
Legal Counsellor
6 February 1984
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