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HAB's statement on "Joint Special Meeting of 17 District Councils"
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     The Home Affairs Bureau today (June 5) made the following statement on a "Joint Special Meeting of 17 District Councils" to be held by 17 District Councils (DCs) on June 6.
      
     Seventeen DCs, including Eastern, Wan Chai, Southern, Central and Western, Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon City, Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Tai Po, North, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, will hold a "Joint Special Meeting of 17 District Councils" on June 6 to discuss the National People's Congress Decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security.
      
     It is specified in section 61 of the District Councils Ordinance (the Ordinance) (Cap. 547) that functions of a DC are to, inter alia, advise the Government on issues related to the district as stipulated in the Ordinance. Items and documents to be discussed in a DC must be compatible with the DC functions specified in the Ordinance. According to the DC Standing Orders of the districts, the Chairman shall approve the agenda of a meeting of DC and shall ensure that the agenda items are compatible with the functions of DC as stipulated in section 61 of the Ordinance.
      
     In view that the topic to be discussed at the above meeting is not an issue at the district level, and is not compatible with the DC functions specified in section 61 of the Ordinance, this DC meeting is legally invalid and the DC secretariats cannot provide secretariat service for the meeting, and staff from District Offices and DC secretariats will neither attend the meeting nor take any follow-up actions regarding the item discussed in the meeting. 

     The Government urged DC members to focus on livelihood issues and advise the Government on district affairs from a pragmatic perspective.
 
Ends/Friday, June 5, 2020
Issued at HKT 18:59
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