TNAG-2922-FCO40-4197-Visits-and-proposed-visits-by-Alastair-Goodlad--Minister-of--1993 — Page 160

GF 323

CONFIDENTIAL #3

2

a

Motion

in LegCo

calling

on the

Emily Lau moved

Administration "to support the extension to Hong Kong of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and to request the British Government to take the necessary action to so extend

the Convention forthwith".

Government announcing that

Miss Lau, replying at end

with

Group

reluctance.

extension

The motion was carried, with the a Green Paper would be published. of the Debate, acknowledged this

At a recent meeting of the LegCo Ad Hoc

on Women's Commission, Members once again called for the of CEDAW and the introduction of anti-discrimination

legislation to Hong

They see the Green Paper exercise

as a delaying tactic.

Kong.

5.

Judging from

the

may

above and opinion expressed in the well find itself under pressure to

media, the Goverment

to

accede to CEDAW. To prepare ourselves for such a scenario, we are taking steps to assess whether Hong Kong is in a position comply with the requirements of CEDAW in terms of its legislation, policies and practices, and what reservations and

declarations might be needed upon any extension of the

Convention to Hong Kong by the United Kingdom. This is

to

necessary because once the Convention is extended to Hong Kong, the United Kingdom would be obliged, as a matter of

international law,

ensure that the Convention was being

faithfully implemented in Hong Kong and would be required to

report periodically to the relevant UN organ. these obligations would pass to the PRC.

After 1997

Constitutional Affairs Branch

26 May 1993

MIS122

CONFIDENTIAL #

機密