TNAG-1151-FCO40-1431-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-United-Nations-1983 — Page 12

Mr Williams

UND

HKIL 022/3

CONFIDENTIAL

Free

73

Ps (the KCN)

на

7 Скоторы

ADJOURNMENT DEBATE: ARTICLE 13 OF THE UN CHARTER

1.

18/12

Your minute of 14 December. As you know, the special circumstances of Hong Kong, which limit the options for the future of the Territory and in particular rule out any form of independence, do mean that emphasis on the obligation to push self-determination for our Dependent Territories causes us difficulties. So does the requirement in Article 73 that free political institutions should be progressively developed in the Dependent Territories. The attitude of China makes it impracticable to develop representative institutions beyond the local level although in practice there is little pressure from the inhabitants for central elections.

2.

I fully realise the importance from the UN and Falkland Islands points of view in welcoming Mr Arnold's emphasis on Article 73. From the Hong Kong point of view nevertheless it would be very helpful if Mr Onslow's speech could avoid spelling out the precise requirements of Article 73 (and presumably repeating what Mr Arnold will already have said). It would therefore be very helpful if the first paragraph of the draft could be re-worded so that the last two sentences simply read:

'He has drawn attention to the various features of Article 73, in particular the vital importance of the interests of the inhabitants of the territories in question.'

I hope that this does not cause too much difficulty. The rest of the draft is fine by us.

3.

We are submitting separately to the Parliamentary Unit material for supplementaries on the other Dependent Territories and a background note on Hong Kong which will draw Mr Onslow's

It also attention to the complications which I have described. explains why reports on Hong Kong are no longer submitted to the Committee of 24.

Б

R D Clift

15 December 1982

сс

Mr Westbrook FID

Hong Kong and General Department

Mr Edwards Legal Advisers

Mr Bowley Parliamentary Clerk

Mr Burrows Legal Advisers Mr Wilkinson Planning Staff

WIAD

SED

SPD

EAD

CONFIDENTIAL