-OCT-1992
11:03
CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS BR
+ 852 840 1976
P.03
DRAFT
Mr Andrew C. Byrnes
Faculty of Law
University of Hong Kong
Pokfulam Road
Hong Kong
Dear Mr Byrnes
United Nations Human Rights Treaties
conversations
Further to my letter of 21 October and
during and after the lunch hosted by Dr Chey, our reply to the questions raised in your letters of 4 October to us and to the Secretary of State is set out
our
below.
United Nations Convention against Torture
2.
The reason for the delay in extending the Torture Convention to Hong Kong is because the United Kingdom Government hopes to be able to extend the Convention to all remaining dependent territories simultaneously. Given the difference in the timing of enacting legislation in other dependent territories, the Convention could not be extended as soon as the Crimes (Torture) Bill was passed in the Legislative Council.
We expect the United Kingdom Government will be in a position to notify the United Nations of the extension in the near future.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR)
3.
(a) We have
of Hong
submitted draft reports in respect
Kong
ICESCR to the
under Articles 10-15 of the
United Kingdom
Government.