CONFIDENTIAL
бла
143122
MDLIAN 8723
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2516
OF 160856Z OCTOBER 92
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
TOP COPY Q DIST?
'NATIONALITY AND REFUGEES'
IRO SUB-GROUP: MULTILATERAL TREATIES: CATEGORY
1. WE ARE FAXING TO MARSHALL, HKD, 4 DRAFT DISCUSSION PAPERS ON TREATIES IN THE CATEGORY OF NATIONALITY AND REFUGEES (ITEMS 14.1 -14.1(1), 14.1(2)-14.1(3), 14.2 AND 14.3).
2. WE ARE AWARE THAT SOME OF THE TREATIES IN THIS CATEGORY ARE
QUITE OLD AND THE CHINESE SIDE ARE LIKELY TO VIEW THEM WITH
CONSIDERABLE MISGIVINGS. WE ARE ALSO AWARE THAT SOME OF THE
OBLIGATIONS IMPOSED UNDER THESE TREATIES CAN BE DERIVED ALSO FROM
OTHER INSTRUMENTS E.G. THE TWO INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS ON HUMAN
RIGHTS (SEE 1954 CONVENTION RELATING TO THE STATUS OF STATELESS PERSONS).
3. ON BALANCE, HOWEVER, WE ARE INCLINED TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS FOR THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF THESE TREATIES AS THEY CONTAIN
SOME USEFUL PROVISIONS WHICH MAY BE OF PRACTICAL BENEFIT TO HONG KONG AS WELL AS PROVIDING GENERAL REASSURANCE. WE WOULD LIKE TO
HAND OVER THE PAPERS BY 3 NOVEMBER AND SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS, IF ANY, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
4. IN THIS CONNECTION, THE PRC IS PARTY TO THE 1951 GENEVA CONVENTION RELATING TO THE STATUS OF REFUGEES AND THE 1969 PROTOCOL WHICH DO NOT APPLY TO HONG KONG. WE WOULD, HOWEVER, BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD FAX TO CHOK/CAB A FULL TEXT OF ANY PRC RESERVATIONS/DECLARATIONS IN RESPECT OF THESE INSTRUMENTS AS THEY
MIGHT PROVIDE A USEFUL INDICATION OF SOME OF THE POINTS THE
CHINESE SIDE MAY RAISE.
PATTEN
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