TNAG-2172-FCO40-3109-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-1990 — Page 150

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2

3.

The Declaration

was,

however,

simply a set of

guidelines, and imposed no obligation to put the principles

it described into practice. In 1966, therefore, two human

rights treaties, the International Covenant on Civil and

Political Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) were adopted

by the United Nations. The Covenants set out the basic

human rights and fundamental

obligation on all States which

freedoms, and imposed an

became parties to them to

The

implement those rights by all appropriate means.

Covenants came into force in 1976. In the same year the

Government of the United Kingdom ratified the Covenants in

respect of the United Kingdom and dependent territories,

including Hong Kong.

4.

In 1984 the British and Chinese Governments agreed

that the Covenants should continue to be applied to Hong

Kong after 1997. The Sino-British Joint Declaration states

that 'the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil

and Political Rights and the International Covenant on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to

to Hong

Kong shall remain in force'. This provision is reflected

in Article 39 of the draft Basic Law.

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