10
5
(i) Joint Liaison Group
8.
The Joint Liaison Group has,
over
the past
year, recorded further solid achievements.
I will cite
lo.
only few examples.
a group, the
Following
to able were
consultation
start,
in the
in
July,
Government issuing permanent Hong Kong identity cards and a new type of Certificate of Identity. A start was also made on issuing British National (Overseas) passports.
of
Air
The first
Service
one also involving
And
Agreements,
that
is
an
the United
Hong Kong's
from agreement separate Kingdom, came into force on 26 June. Also in June, Hong Kong was admitted as a member of the Customs Co-operation Council. And full agreement has been reached on the New Pension Scheme for the Civil Service,
effect on 1 July.
9.
came which
(ii) JLG Sub-group on IRO
into
l.c.
l.c.
The standing sub-group on International Rights and Obligations, set up by the Joint Liaison Group, also continues to make steady progress. Its work gets less of the limelight but is nonetheless of great importance.
As K# a result of work in the group, agreement has been reached in principle on Hong Kong's future participation in the International Telecommunications Union; the International Maritime Organisation; the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
/(iii)
Land