TNAG-0436-FCO40-501-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-international-organisations-1973 — Page 50

4.S. MRCV.)

2600027

From the Governor, Hong Kong

E

X-1

R129 HIOD

SAVING TELEGRAM

RECEIVED IN

15 MAY.974

To the Secretary of State for Foreign Regnormal Affairs

Repeated to:

Repeated to:-

Date.

8th May, 1974.

My Reference GR 14/5691/64

INWARD SAVING TELEGRAM

STION

Your Reference.

UM 49/1

No. 23

No........

No.

Your Circular Saving Despatch Ref. UM49/7 of 13th

February 1974.

UNITED KINGDOM'S THIRD BIENNIAL REPORT UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

The position remains unchanged since the last report submitted in January 1972. No legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures in Hong Kong are contrary to the provisions of the Convention and no special measures have been adopted to combat racial discrimination because the problem hardly exists here.

2.

In the past two years Hong Kong has continued its programme of modernizing the law in the field of family law. These measures apply equally to persons of all races residing within the territory. Examples of this type of legislation which help to integrate the races are:

3.

(a) The Guardianship of Minors Ordinance

(Chapter 13 of the Laws of Hong Kong); and

(b) The Matrimonial Froceedings and Property

Ordinance (Chapter 192 of the Laws of Hong Kong).

Until comparatively recently, English was the dominant language for the conduct of public business in Hong Kong, despite the overwhelming majority of Chinese in the population. This Government has recognized the widespread public desire for the Chinese language to be accorded greater recognition and during the last two years it has adopted a number of measures to achieve this goal. The Labour Tribunal Ordinance 1972 which established a tribunal for the hearing of monetary claims arising from employment provides that the proceedings before the tribunal shall be conducted in such language as the tribunal thinks fit having regard to the language of the parties. In practice almost all the proceedings of this body have been conducted in Chinese. Earlier this year the Official Languages Ordinance 1974 was enacted and this measure declares that Chinese and English shall be official languages possessing equal status in all dealings between the Government and members of the public and in the lower courts.