XN000022-1995-02-22 — Page 45

Reply:

· 32 -

Mr President,

(a)

(b)

The United Kingdom Government, as a State Party to the various treaties that apply to Hong Kong, is responsible for submitting periodic reports to the UN treaty monitoring bodies. The Hong Kong Government contributes to the preparation of the relevant reports by preparing and submitting to the UK Government draft reports in respect of Hong Kong.

The British Government faced an unusual situation last year in that four written human rights reports to the UN were due in the same year. These are reports under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This situation was exceptional.

The process for the United Kingdom Government to compile each report is complicated and time-consuming, involving several home Departments, as well as 11 Dependent Territories, and three Crown Dependencies. Some delay in meeting the deadlines has become inevitable. The UK Government has therefore decided to postpone the submission of the sections of the ICCPR report in respect of its Dependent Territories and Crown Dependencies to this year.

There will be a separate section on Hong Kong in the Fourth Periodic Report as there was in the Third Report. The British Government intends to submit the report under ICCPR in respect of Hong Kong this summer, and will express the hope that the Human Rights Committee will examine it at its 55th Session in the autumn. The timing of the examination is up to the Committee.

End/Wednesday, February 22, 1995