TNAG-1152-FCO40-1432-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-Commonwealth-1982 — Page 14

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With regard to the proposed Advisory Committee, our understanding of the wording of sub-paragraph 10(11) is that the proposed Committee would be entitled to consider only those communications which appear to reveal a consistent pattern of gross and reliably attested violations of human rights.

There also seems to be some lack of clarity about the nature of the functions of the proposed Advisory Committee, as set out in sub-paragraph 10(111). It seems premature for the Committee to 'make its good offices available' and 'undertake conciliatory functions' at the point where it has only decided that the situation requires examination. These two functions might better come into play after the Committee has conducted an examination and, in the light of it, has concluded that there is sufficient prima facie evidence of a consistent pattern of gross and reliably attested violations of human rights.

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Antony Acland