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The Government have just received the concluding observations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the first report by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in the light of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, a Home Affairs Bureau spokesman said today (May 12).

The concluding observations follow the Committee's hearing of the report in Geneva, on April 27 and 30, when a Hong Kong delegation, led by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr W K Lam, attended to answer the Committee's questions.

The spokesman said the observations include several warm and positive comments, commending Hong Kong's performance in a number of important areas and these are welcome.

"There are also a number of concerns and recommendations to which we must give attention. Many of them are, in fact, supportive of initiatives that we already have in hand and we welcome the Committee's encouragement.

"We will be examining each of the issues with the utmost care and consideration in the course of the weeks to come.

"We will give the Committee a detailed response - and advise them of progress made - in our second report, which will form part of China's initial report under the Covenant that is due for submission in 2003."

"The Covenant requires States Parties to submit their initial reports two years after their ratification takes effect. China's ratification will take effect on June 27 this year. This is why Hong Kong's second report will be due in 2003 rather than in 2006, when it would be due under the ICESCR's five-year cycle, had China not ratified the Covenant," the spokesman explained.

"The concluding observations are a vital element of the UN reporting process that comprises an ongoing and galvanising exchange of views between the UN treaty monitoring bodies and governments in the interests of the publics to whom they are answerable. The Hong Kong SAR Government regards its role and responsibilities in that process as a deep and binding trust to which it is committed," the spokesman said.

The UN concluding observations will be uploaded on the Home Affairs Bureau's homepage next week. Hard copies are now avaliable to the media on request from the Duty Officer, Information Services Department or HAB's Information Unit.

End/Saturday, May 12, 2001

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