Eleventh Report under the Convention on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination
HONG KONG
A Policy on elimination of racial discrimination
1.
Legislative arrangements The Government, satisfied that racial discrimination is not a problem in Hong Kong, has not considered it necessary to introduce any law aimed at eradicating racially discriminatory behaviour and practices. In enacting legislation, however, the Governor is by virtue of the Royal Instructions of 1917
and 1986 prohibited from giving his assent to any bill whereby persons not of European birth or descent are not subjected or made liable to any disabilities or restrictions to which persons of European birth or descent are not also subjected or made liable, unless he has had prior permission from Her Majesty's Government to
do so.
2.
The
Since April 1989, all new principal legislation and most new subsidiary legislation has been drafted in English and Chinese.
English and Chinese texts of legislation are equally authentic for
legal purposes.
3. Following its announcement in October 1989 that a Bill of Rights would be introduced into the Legislative Council by July 1990, the Government published in March 1990 a draft of the Bill of Rights Bill for public consultation in a publication entitled 'Commentary on the Draft Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance'. The draft Bill, if enacted, was to incorporate into the law of Hong Kong
the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as applied to Hong Kong. It was expected to be enacted in
1991. The draft Bill was designed to further strengthen the equal
enjoyment of rights and equal protection of the law regardless of one's race, colour or national or ethnic origin, as guaranteed in
the Covenant.
SAOABA