TNAG-0918-FCO40-1129-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 102

CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Cortazzi Sir A Duff

Mr Sutherland

Mr Hensby, Consular Department Mr Maud, FRD

Mr Hurst, Overseas Labour Adviser

Mr Simpson-Orlebar, UND

Mr Masefield, Planning Staff

Mr Smith, Planning Staff

Mr Meyer, Planning Staff Miss Binns, Planning Staff

CC:

PS/Mr Luard Mr Lipsey

HUMAN RIGHTS AND FOREIGN POLICY

1. Ministers have recently been considering how to bring human rights questions more systematically into the formulation of British foreign policy. They have now decided that the best way of doing this would be for the Planning Staff to draw up a comparative assessment of the human rights performance of all foreign governments with which the UK has diplomatic relations (whether on a resident or a non-resident basis) and also a few others (eg North Korea, Uganda). They have also decided that the assessment should be made by certain Under Secretaries supervising geographical departments, the Heads of Consular Department, FRD and UN Department, the Over- seas Labour Adviser (all of whom are concerned with human rights issues), and all members of the Planning Staff. In addition, Mr Luard and Mr Lipsey have agreed to join the panel of assessors. The marks will be added up and averaged, and countries listed in order of human rights merit. It is hoped that the result, in which individual biases would help to can- cel each other out, will have a measure of objective validity, although it is fully recognised both that the ranking order of individual countries cannot be definitive and that human rights considerations can never be more than one of the many factors in foreign policy decisions.

2.

Accordingly, you are invited to complete the attached form, which asks you to give marks to each country under seven sepa- rate headings. These are:

(i) (ii)

the extent of imprisonment without trial;

the use of torture;

(iii) the existence of slavery;

(iv)

the degree of restriction on freedom of speech of the press, television and radio;

(v)

the degree of independence of the judiciary;

(vi)

the degree of trade union freedom;

(vii)

freedom to emigrate.

CONFIDENTIAL

/You