Hong Kong government Tuesday pledged to protect human rights during a two-day
hearing at the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
"The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ( HKSAR) is fully
committed to the protection of human rights," Permanent Secretary for Home
Affairs Carrie Lam assured the Committee at the hearing.
Carrie Lam is in New York to attend the committee's hearing of Hong Kong's
second report in light of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR).
The HKSAR Government submitted its second report on the implementation of the
ICCPR in January 2005 and the members of the committee discussed issues
concerning the report during the hearing.
Lam told the committee: "In Hong Kong, human rights and freedoms are
guaranteed constitutionally by the Basic Law. And the rule of law and an
independent judiciary, also guaranteed by the Basic Law, provide the fundamental
basis for human rights protection in Hong Kong."
On constitutional development, Lam stressed that the HKSAR Government
consistently maintained the position that the electoral system of the
Legislative Council did not contravene the convention's provisions as applied to
Hong Kong.
She specifically referred to the reservation made in respect of Article 25(b)
when the Covenant was extended by the United Kingdom Government to Hong Kong in
1976 which continues to apply to Hong Kong after 1997.
This reservation allows Hong Kong to decide the method of forming the
Legislative Council in the light of the actual situation and the principle of
gradual and orderly progress as stipulated under the Basic Law.