on Economy Social and Cultural Rights to remain in force after
1997 (even though China is not a signatory). There is no dispute
about this. The Basic Law reflects it and we shall discuss with the
Chinese in due course the exact method for this to be possible.
Meanwhile, as a confidence building measure, the Hong Kong Government is drafting a Bill of Rights which will give clear effect in local law to the ICCPR (which has hitherto been implemented through a combination of law, regulations and common law) and will enable individuals to take action in the courts if they think their
rights have been infringed. The Chinese are concerned that our Bill should be entirely consistent with the ICCPR and the Basic Law. Since this is also our intention, we do not expect difficulty with
the Chinese when the draft Bill is published for public
consultation.
MT HAPQ (7)
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