VEMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.
MON 67 JUN 98 09:55
PG.02
Mr Michael Sze, SCA
CONFIDENTIAL
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
(20
Da ICCPR
HICC 241,
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
10 JUN 1993
DESK OFFICER
Interest
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
We have
from
recently been
getting 2 good
deal
f
LegCo
members and others on how
the
UWO
Covenants
(particularly
the ICCPR
with
its
We
remain in force in the SAR after
if it does not
to make will be obliged
International
reporting provisions} will
1997 and how
can be sure that the PRC,
itself accede to the Covenant,
June and I have
TEPOTES to the UN Human Rights Committee in respect of the MKSAR. Christine Tooth wrote to Mr Goodlad about this on 1 jusi amemled a draft reply to her from the had been prepared in London (copies attached). There was a good deal of interest in this question in LegCo when the AG answered an oral question from Howard Young on multilateral treaties generally.
Minister that
20 May
2.
situation.
it might be
it ic
helpful if I were
not,
I
Sorry
to
am
explain
SAY,
the
very
straightforward.
TWO
Covenants
to
Ilong Kong
shall
romain in
force".
The
JD 156 stated that the provisions of the
applied British view is that this means quite clearly
that the PRC will be obliged, as a matter of international to uphold the Covenantɛ in relation to the HKSAR whether
law.
or
not
to
do
she separately acccdes to the Covenants. Any failure would be A breach of the JD. Amongst China's will be the reporting obligation under Article 10 ICCPR and the obligation, under Article 41 ICCPR, to deal
with
TCCFR
obligations
complaints
from
other
states
parties
10
the
(including the UK) that cnc io falling to comply with her
obligatious towards the BAR.
1.
take
the
Covenants
WO believe that,
if we have to. we could reasonably
iinc that the JD itself
will continue to apply
further legal instrument is needed.
ensures
that
the two
the HKSAR and thal,
This is different to the
CONFIDENTIAL
SIU