Concluding observations of the UN Human Rights Committee on the Supplementary Report
in respect of Hong Kong under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights issued on 8 November 1996

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Introduction

The UN Human Rights Committee considered, at its fifty-eighth session, the Supplementary Report in respect of Hong Kong under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

2. The Committee issued its concluding observations (Annex A) on 8 November 1996. The Administration’s views on the Committee’s suggestions and recommendations are set out below.

Continued application of the Covenant and future reporting (paragraphs 4 - 8 of Annex A)

3. We agree entirely with the Committee that following the resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong, China is obliged under the Joint Declaration to continue to apply the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in Hong Kong and to submit reports on Hong Kong after 1 July 1997.

4. We welcome the assurance that the Committee will be flexible about the way in which reports can be submitted after the handover and that it is ready to cooperate fully with the British Government and China to work out the necessary modalities of reporting to give effect to the Joint Declaration.

5. The Committee urged the British Government to take all necessary steps to ensure effective and continued application of the provisions of the Covenant in Hong Kong in accordance with the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. To this end, we note the statement of the Foreign Secretary on 20 December 1996 that the British Government will take steps to promote the future implementation of the Joint Declaration, one of which will be to step up its monitoring of and reporting on developments in Hong Kong, before and after the handover. The British Government will be reporting to Parliament on developments in Hong Kong at six-monthly intervals, focusing on the work of the Joint Liaison Group, with special reference to the protection of human rights in Hong Kong. These reports will be available to the UN treaty monitoring bodies.

6. The Committee also requested the British Government to provide a report on the human rights situation in Hong Kong up to 30 June 1997. The British Government will comply with this request. We will provide a draft contribution for the report.

January 1997

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