TNAG-2808-FCO40-4053-Future-of-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IR-1994 — Page 13

Your reference: CAB B3/19/6

p.a. 331/3

3 November 1993

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 671- 270-2488

Ms Ava Chiu

Secretariat for Home Affairs

Government Secretariat

Ми с

031/3

Lower Albert Road

RECO

Hong Kong

1010. 1993

Dear

Ms Chiu

UN WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN: PEKING 1995

Thank you for your letter of 7 October to Rod Bunten. I am replying as the FCO official responsible for preparations for the 1995 World Conference on Women. I am sorry for the delay but our policy and preparations are still at an early stage.

The United Kingdom (UK) is supportive of the aims of the UN Womens' Conferences and intends to play a constructive part at Peking. The UK believes that there is much in our experience which is of interest to other countries. The UK was one of the first countries of the world to introduce legislation bearing on equality of opportunities, and has led the way on specific topics such as training in non-traditional areas and violence against women. We hope that the concluding document of the Conference will contain practical and specific ideas on strategies for the next few years.

The size and composition of our delegation will be decided by Government Ministers in due course. Dependent Territories will be invited to participate, either by sending a delegate (at their own expense) or by submitting views which they want considered at the Conference. I shall be writing to all Dependent Territories about this soon. According to our records Hong Kong sent a delegate to the 1980 Conference in Copenhagen but not to Nairobi.

I enclose a copy of the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies in case you have not seen them. In principle Hong Kong, together with other Dependent Territories, is committed to the Forward Looking Strategies by the UK's agreement to them.

1