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"Moreover, it will ensure that the people of Hong Kong enjoy a similar level of legal protection, in respect of equal opportunities between the sexes, as their counterparts in other developed countries," he added.
Another initiative taken in the year was the formal extension of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to Hong Kong.
To promote public awareness of the convention, booklets to publicise the provisions are being prepared and these are expected to be available around April 1995.
On the wider subject of promotion programmes to enhance community awareness towards human rights issues, a total of $20 million will be allocated to the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education over the next three years. An education unit will be set up under the committee to devise and implement human rights education programmes.
Mr Suen noted that during the past year, the major work theme of the committee was "Rights to Participate in Representative Government", but other topics such as the rule of law and human rights were also promoted through a variety of programmes.
In 1995/96, the committee will focus its work on issues under the general theme of human rights education, with particular emphasis on civic rights and representative government; equal opportunities and elimination of discrimination, and the rule of law. This work will be done through the sponsorship of Community Participation Scheme, media publicity, research projects and the production of education materials such as teaching kits, booklets and videos.
Another important initiative announced in June 1994 was the go-ahead for the development of a Code of Practice on Access to Information covering the whole Government, Mr Suen recalled.
"We firmly believe that more open Government and more accountable Government is better Government, and it is with this goal in mind that we decide to take a further step forward in our commitment to greater transparency."
Mr Suen pointed out that preparation for the pilot scheme to be launched among nine branches and departments early this year was well advanced.
In broad terms, the code will state clearly Government's commitment to greater openness. It will set out the types of information to which the public may have access, the means by which the public can gain access to such information, and the time-frame within which the Government should respond to requests for information.