XN000022-1994-11-25 — Page 19

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1994

HK PRAISED FOR PROMOTING COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS PRAISED YESTERDAY (THURSDAY, GENEVA TIME) IN GENEVA BY MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL RIGHTS FOR ITS EXEMPLARY ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE PROMOTION AND DISSEMINATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS (ICESCR).

AFTER LEARNING FROM THE SOLICITOR GENERAL, MR DANIEL R FUNG, QC, LEADER OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TEAM FORMING PART OF THE UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION, THAT COPIES IN ENGLISH AND IN CHINESE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS (ICCPR) AND THE ICESCR WERE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED TO ALL WALKS OF THE COMMUNITY, A MEMBER THE UN COMMITTEE, JUDGE PHILIPPE TEXIER OF FRANCE, SAID HONG KONG "HAD DONE INFINITELY MORE THAN THE 129 SIGNITORIES OF THE ICESCR".

HE FURTHER EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT OTHER TERRITORIES MIGHT FOLLOW SUIT.

ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, PROFESSOR BRUNO SIMMA OF GERMANY, SAID SINCE HE JOINED THE COMMITTEE IN 1987, NO OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORY OR COUNTRY HAD GONE TO SUCH PAINS TO DISSEMINATE COPIES OF THE COVENANT. HE CONGRATULATED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FOR THE EFFORTS.

MR FUNG EARLIER TOLD THE COMMITTEE DURING THE SECOND DAY OF ITS HEARING ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS IN HONG KONG, THAT A LARGE QUANTITY OF THE COVENANTS WERE PRINTED AND MADE AVAILABLE, FREE OF CHARGE, ON DEMAND TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, DISTRICT BOARDS, MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

DURING YESTERDAY'S MEETING, MR FUNG ALSO ANSWERED QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE COMMITTEE ON A RANGE OF ISSUES INCLUDING BEDSPACE APARTMENTS, THE VARIOUS ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILLS PUT BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DRUG ABUSE AMONG THE YOUNG, CHILD ABUSE AND THE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT VIEWS OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGO) BEFORE REPORTS UNDER THE ICESCR WERE SUBMITTED TO THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE.

AS TO THE QUESTION OF GAUGING NGOS' VIEWS, MR FUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSIDERING WAYS OF ESTABLISHING A FORMALISED SYSTEM TO SEEK THE VIEWS OF NGOS BEFORE SUBMITTING FUTURE REPORTS TO THE UN.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALWAYS VALUED THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE NGOS IN THE PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN HONG KONG, AND HOPED THAT THE NEW SYSTEM WOULD ENHANCE THE GOVERNMENT'S WORK IN THIS AREA.

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BECAUSE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF QUESTIONS RAISED BY MEMBERS THE COMMITTEE, THE HEARING WAS EXTENDED FOR A HALF-DAY TODAY (FRIDAY).

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