2
and 1,000 staff from the Bank/Fund.
The Annual Meetings and the ancillary
meetings together will cover a period of about one week.
4.
Hong Kong is not a member of the Bank or the Fund. The Articles of Agreement of the two organisations apply to Hong Kong as a dependent territory of the United Kingdom. Hong Kong Government officials attend the Annual Meetings as part of the UK delegation. The People's Republic of China is a member of the Bank and the Fund. Agreement has been reached with the Chinese side through the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group (JLG) that Hong Kong may continue to participate in the Bank and the Fund after 1997 in line with the present practice, using when required the name "Hong Kong, China".
1997 Annual Meetings
5.
the
Initial
informal
soundings in the
Bank/Fund
America,
indicated that, in
America, Hong Kong was
absence of interest from Africa and Latin
generally seen as a suitable locality within the Asia region for the Annual Meetings. A technical study by the Bank/Fund confirms that the facilities in Hong Kong (the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), hotels, local transportation, airport, telecommunications and venues for social events) would be adequate,
be adequate, provided that the question of providing some 750 to 800 temporary offices for use during the Annual Meetings is resolved satisfactorily. Discussions with the New
New World Group
(which has a contract with the HKTDC to manage the HKCEC and which owns the Grand Hyatt and the New World Harbour View Hotels as well as the
Convention Plaza office block) suggest that this should not be an insurmountable problem.
6.
September 1997, after
work would have to
The Annual Meetings would be held in late the transfer of sovereignty, but most of the planning begin usually four or five years prior to the event. proposal through the JLG for the 1997 Annual Meetings to be held in Hong
When we floated the