TNAG-2796-FCO40-4036-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-international-organisations-1993 — Page 30

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Action Taken!

REF. (11) PELB(CR) 55/04(93)

REF.

Mr. Paul Madden

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT

& LANDS BRANCH MURRAY BUILDING, GARDEN ROAD,

Prease fox to Me Illoh, GD Tel.: 848 2935

-тоже дорему у

Environment, Science and Energy Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Dear Mr. Madden,

Stuart Reed.

نش حبسه ها

20114810 Der Spiel

Fax.: 845 3489

20 January 1993

2. sech legal alice m A ami al dot schukue my awa ramme, máqub he available ne *1-

Ratification of the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change

3326/14192

V.

from

20/1

Thank you for your letter of 4 December 1992, which was addressed to Dr.

Hong Kong has all along been supportive of international efforts to protect the environment. We are also prepared to meet international obligations in these respects as far as possible. But in the case of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, before a decision can be made on whether it can be extended to Hong Kong, two issues need to be considered and resolved first.

The first issue relates to Hong Kong's status under the Convention before and after 1997. It arises from the fact that China is also a party to the Convention but has adopted a different status from the UK i.e. developing status. Hence, if the Convention is extended to Hong Kong before 1997, a mechanism has to be identified whereby the rights and obligations which are incurred by Hong Kong and which are those of a developed country can be continued beyond 1997. This issue of continuity of status has already arisen in the case of the Montreal Protocol which was extended to Hong Kong earlier on.

The second issue is more of a practical one and relates to Hong Kong's capabilities, in terms of financial, economic and technical resources, to meet the obligations. Whilst we are quite sure of being able to do so in some arcas, we have not yet fully assessed the implications of ratification and hence cannot firmly establish our capabilities in all areas.

In view of the above issues, we are not in a position to say at this juncture whether we want to be included in the UK's ratification or when we would envisage the

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