16 March 1993
Sir David Ford, KBE LVO
Chief Secretary Government House Upper Albert Road Hong Kong
See
HKC 031/4 (92)
Folios
(81)+(82
3:14
cc My godfrey
SEAD.
TMB 22/3
Have you commertul to HRPU following dur Monhall's minite to you
10 December? of
6 Bint
031/4
2655
HKC 031/3
270-3642
2/4.
RES en
SA
UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: EXTENSION TO HONG KONG
1. I enclose a first draft of a Note to the UN Secretary General extending the UK's ratification of the above Convention to the Isle of Man and eleven dependent territories.
2.
You will see that the UK's reservation (d) has been redrafted for most of the territories to which the Convention is being extended to take account of the minor differences between employment legislation from territory to territory. Hong Kong has a separate version of reservation (d). We assume that you would prefer the separate reservation, but if the redrafted more general version of reservation (d) is acceptable, please let us know.
3.
As regards the reservation concerning child asylum-seekers in Hong Kong, this has caused difficulty in that the Cayman Islands has requested a similar reservation. If the Cayman Islands were to require such a reservation then other Caribbean dependent teritories would wish to follow suit. We have written to the Cayman Islands arguing that the situation in Hong Kong and the legislation to deal with it are wholly exceptional. We should be grateful if you would consider whether this reservation is still strictly necessary. In particular, would not reservation (c) be wide enough to cover your legislation?
Miss N C Jackson
Human Rights Policy Unit
CC: Mr Bunten, HKD
Mr Parker, Assistant Legal Adviser
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A