TNAG-1855-FCO40-2630-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 136

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL -8 March 1989

香港立法局 一九八九年三月八日

Oral answers to questions

9

International convenants on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights

1. 司徒華議員問:主席先生,政府可否告知本局:當局在過去曾如何向市民宣傳《公民權利和 政治權利國際公約》及《經濟、社會與文化權利的國際公約》?今後又將會做些甚麼工作?

CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, since the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in November last year, the part of the United Kingdom's reports to that committee relating to Hong Kong have been tabled in this council and placed in public libraries for the information of members of the public. These documents report on the measures adopted in Hong Kong which give effect to the rights recognized under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Administration is currently making further efforts to promote the public's awareness of the two Covenants. We plan to distribute copies of the two Covenants as well as information leaflets, especially to schools and public libraries. We are consulting the Civic Education Committee on what other measures we may take to promote public awareness of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. A Committee on Promoting Legal Awareness has been formed by the Law Society, together with representatives of the Bar Association and other lawyers. This committee will be devising ways to improve the level of legal awareness in the community. In the context of this work, the Administration will be making suggestions to the committee on ways to arouse the public's awareness of their civil rights and awareness of the two Covenants.

司徒華議員問:從布政司原先的答詞,知道這兩個公約及有關的文件將會分發給學校。政府可否 告知本局,本港中小學的課程是否包括這兩個國際公約的內容。如果没有,學校向學生進行公民 教育時,涉及這兩個公約是否屬違反教育規例第92條?因為這條規例是禁止學校向學生講授課 程以外的教材的。這條規例需否修改?

CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, I will look into the particular point made by Mr. SZETO Wah. But as I made clear in my original answer, we are consulting the Civic Education Committee on what measures we may take to promote awareness of civil rights, and that will also include these covenants. I will take Mr. SZETO Wah's point into consideration when we make that consultation.