TNAG-2512-FCO40-3665-Future-of-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IR-1992 — Page 167

VENT MUUSE

נועה

R0/66/88

SPEAKING NOTE

CONFIDENTIAL

Annex A

Handed over to the Chinese side on 28.10.1988

UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE

we wish to raise the subject of the UN Convention against

Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment oF

Punishment. UK was among the first to sign the 1984 Convention.

UK now plans to ratify the Convention on the occasion of the

40th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

which is on 10th December 1988 and wishes that this ratification

apply to its dependent territories.

2.

The British side consider that it would be desirable that

Hong Kong not be excluded from the UK ratification.

This would

demonstrate to the international community Hong Kong's condemnation

of acts of torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment.

Also, the Convention is designed to strengthen the machinery for

ensuring the observance of Article 7 of the international Covenant

on Civil and Political Rights, which applies to Hong Kong. There

would therefore be little logic for Hong Kong to be excluded from

the UK's ratification of the Convention. We note that the Government

of the People's Republic of China signed the Convention in

December 1986.

3:

3.

As the application of this Convention will confer new

international rights and oblitations on Hong Kong, and as it is

intended that such international rights and obligations should

continue to apply to Hong Kong after 1997, we are accordingly

consulting the Chinese side under the agreed guidelines for

consultation.

If we hear nothing within 40 days, we will assume

CONFIDENTIAL

/that