TNAG-2808-FCO40-4053-Future-of-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IR-1994 — Page 10

for

information only.

Kuchen. 1031/3

24 November 1993

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

37

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-270-3642

Ms Ava Chui

Government Secretariat

Home Affairs Branch

E3113

31st Floor, Southorn Centre

R

D. DEC 1958

130 Hennessy Road

Wan Chai

Hong Kong

Dear Ara,

CONVENTION ON RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

1.

In her reply to your letter of 23 September 1993 to Nici Jackson about the extent of consultation of NGOs in the preparation of the Metropolitan Report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Sarah Tiffin promised more information in due course.

2.

The

As Nici Jackson said in her letter of 1 July, governments are encouraged to include NGOs in the reporting process. UN Manual on Human Rights Reporting says that governments should explore ways to involve NGOs and popular and representative groups in the preparation of reports. However, it also says that the rationale for including these groups, and the degree of their involvement, will differ with local circumstances. (In practice, only two Treaty Monitoring Bodies formally invite NGOs to submit to them information, documentation and written statements on issues of relevance to the Committee's work, namely the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee against Torture). Depending on the extent of NGO

participation in the preparation of reports they should then also be briefed by the reporting state on the outcome of the examination by the Committee.

3. There has indeed been more involvement by NGOs in connection with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) than over other reports. The World Conference on Human Rights 1993 recognised the role played by NGOS in implementing effectively the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Commission on Human Rights this year invited NGOs to disseminate information on the Convention and to promote its understanding.

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