TNAG-1628-FCO40-2242-Future-of-Hong-Kong-treaties-1987 — Page 8

G.P.O. Box 12721, 10/F, Wing On Life Building, 22 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Reference.

GNT 374/15

RECEIVED IN

13 APR 1987

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

РА

pa.

Miss Shepherd

Treaty Section

M. Ahistan Isk

M. Hill or

To note.

TREATIES APPLICABLE TO HONG KONG

1.

We have been sending (albeit rather haphazardly over the last nine months, owing to changes in staff) depositary notifications concerning treaties applicable to Hong Kong to Mr. J F Wilson, Deputy Principal Crown Counsel, Legal Department, Central Government Offices (Main Wing) Hong Kong, at his request.

2. We send notifications for treaties in the Treaty Series and notif- ications for treaties not yet in TS but which have been extended to Hong Kong and/or (I hope) which P R China has signed or to which it is/becomes a Party. Owing to human error, this method is not infall- ible.

is the

3. My particular concern at present and for the future question of whether, when a treaty which has been extended to Hong Kong but has not yet come into force comes into force and is published in TS, a copy of the TS should be sent to Hong Kong, and by whom. Hong Kong Department may not know when the treaty comes into force, or know of the TS publication. The appropriate depositary notification informing us that a multilateral treaty has come into force should be sent (if we remember) to Hong Kong so that they should be aware of the entry into force, but they will not know when the TS publication is published or the TS or Command Paper number.

4. I presume that Hong Kong will have had a copy of a Miscellaneous If the UK Series when consulted about extension to their territory. ratification includes Hong Kong or if extension to Hong Kong is subsequent to the UK ratification, Hong Kong will not have received depositary notifications before that date and their status list will not be up to date. Sending them a copy of the TS would ensure that they have an up-to-date status list of signatories and Parties as of the date of publication.

5. This will apply to bilateral

agreements as well.

6. Do you think a system should be set up to send relevant TS to Hong Kong? If a treaty is extended to Hong Kong after UK ratification and publication in TS presumably we should inform Hong Kong of the TS and Command Paper number at that stage and/or send them an up-to-dat status list complied from our computer (!).

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Miss Shephard

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Angel F. HALAL

Angela F R Ashpode Treaty Section 6.4.1987

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