TNAG-2816-FCO40-4062-Future-of-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IR-1993 — Page 214

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Elections

As pointed out in section D of the Memorandum, the Conference will be called upon, during the course of its 80th Session, to renew the membership of the Governing Body.

Composition and attendance of delegations

The Memorandum contains in section F information relating to the composition of delegations (number of advisers, representation in committees, etc.). In this connection, I would call your special attention to the provisions of article 3, paragraph 5, of the Constitution, referred to in the Memorandum, as well as to the operative part of the resolution concerning the strengthening of tripartism in the overall activities of the International Labour Organization, adopted by the Conference at its 56th Session (June 1971), and to that of the resolution concerning the participation of women in ILO meetings, adopted by the Conference at its 67th Session (June 1981). I should be most obliged if these requirements could be borne in mind when nominating your country's delegation to the Conference.

I should also like to draw your attention to the obligation of member States under article 13, paragraph 2(a), of the Constitution, which provides that each of the Members shall pay the travelling and subsistence expenses of its delegates and their advisers attending the sessions of the Conference.

Moreover, as regards the presence of delegations at the Conference, the Governing Body has asked me to request governments to notify delegates on their appointment that acceptance of the appointment implies an obligation to be available in Geneva for the work of the Conference, either personally or through an adviser authorized to act as substitute. Consequently, delegates should be present at the Conference as from the commencement of business on the morning preceding the opening of the Conference, and should remain until the close of the Conference. Important votes, e.g. the final votes on the adoption of international labour Conventions and Recommendations, take place during the last days of the Conference. It is therefore essential that delegates or their duly authorized substitutes should be present when such votes are taken; they should accordingly make arrangements to be available until the very end of the Conference. I should be most grateful for any steps you may be good enough to take to ensure that the attention of your country's delegates to the forthcoming session of the Conference is drawn to this important obligation.

As the 80th Session of the Conference will open on Wednesday, 2 June 1993, at 10 a.m., and will be preceded by official meetings of the groups in the afternoon of Tuesday, 1 June, delegates or their duly authorized substitutes should be present in Geneva from the morning of Tuesday, 1 June, and should be available in Geneva until the Conference has completed its work, i.e. until Tuesday, 22 June.