ENG-2005 — Page 64

38 The Legal System

(c) the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination: the initial report part of China's eighth and ninth -- was examined by the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2001;

(d) the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment: the UN Committee against Torture examined the initial report part of China's third in 2000. The second report will form part of China's combined fourth and fifth;

(e) the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): the UN Committee on

the Rights of the Child heard the initial report part of China's second in September 2005; and

(f) the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women heard the initial report part of China's combined third and fourth - in 1999. The second report, part of China's combined fifth and sixth, was submitted in early 2004 and will be examined in August 2006.

With the exception of the ICCPR, to which China is not yet a party, Hong Kong teams attend hearings as part of the Chinese delegations. In the case of the ICCPR, Hong Kong attends alone, though formally led by the Chinese Permanent Ambassador to the UN.

Race Relations

The Race Relations Unit

The unit was established in June 2002 to promote the interests of the ethnic minorities. It produces publicity materials, maintains a hotline, does outreach work to schools and is secretariat to the Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony.

The Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony

The committee (established in 2002) comprises non-government members and relevant government departments. It formulates proposals for race-related public education and vets funding scheme applications. Examples of the projects it finances are language programmes, training for community organisers and after-school support for minority children. A multi-lingual phrasebook for medical emergencies is in preparation to facilitate communication between medical staff and patients with language difficulties.

Children's Rights

The CRC obliges governments to ensure that children and adults are aware of the rights in the convention and that children are provided with opportunities to express their views about matters affecting them. To fulfill its obligations, the Government has made the CRC available in a 'child-friendly' format and in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) – sponsored awareness-