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Year
|
Pledge
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Present Position
|
|
Action Completed
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1996
|
1.
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To address the question of racial discrimination by conducting a study to be completed in late 1996 and consulting the public on the problems identified and possible solutions. We will report our findings and recommendations to Legislative Council (LegCo) in 1997.
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The public consultation was completed in April 1997. The findings and the recommendations were reported to LegCo in June 1997.
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1995
|
2.
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To extend the Code on Access to Information to another 30 policy branches and departments by the end of 1995 and to the whole of the Government before the end of 1996.
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The Code on Access to Information now applies to the whole of Government.
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1995
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3.
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To continue to co-ordinate the review of legislation to ensure its compliance with the Bill of Rights. To complete amendments to a further four Ordinances in the 1996-97 session.
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In the 1996-97 session, amendments to the Telecommunication Ordinance and amendments to the Marriage Ordinance were enacted and both came into operation. Amendments to the Mental Health Regulation and the Prison Rules were also brought into operation.
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Action in Progress: On Schedule
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1996
|
4.
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To enforce and promote compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance through the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data set up in August 1996. The Ordinance will be brought into force by the end of 1996.
|
The core provisions of the Ordinance were brought into force on 20 December 1996. As regards the two remaining provisions, the one regulating matching procedures, for data comparison purpose, came into operation on
1 August 1997 while the one regulating transfer of personal data to places outside Hong Kong will be brought into effect in 1998 to synchronise with international developments on such regulation.
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|
1996
|
5.
|
In 1996-97, to improve the enforcement of maintenance orders made in matrimonial proceedings by introducing legislative amendments to provide for maintenance payments to be deducted directly from maintenance payers' income and to extend the duration of initial maintenance orders for children until they have completed full-time education.
|
The Marriage and Children (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance was enacted on 20 June 1997. All provisions except those relating to the Attachment of Income Order ("AIO") commenced operation on 4 July 1997. Those provisions concerning AIO will be brought into operation within 1997 once
the Chief Justice's rules to provide for the necessary court procedures have been made.
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1994
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6.
|
To grant over the three financial years from 1995-96 to 1997-98 an extra $20 million to the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education to expand its educational programmes on equal opportunities and human rights.
|
As at September 1997, $20 million has been granted to the Committee. In the past 12 months, the Committee continued to provide sponsorship to community organisations and voluntary agencies for human rights projects under the Community Participation Scheme. In 1997-98, 25 projects with a total sponsorship of $1.3 million have been approved. Other programmes included a roving exhibition featuring rights of the child and equal opportunities, various publicity measures (Television Announcements of Public Interest, posters etc.); two parents' handbooks under Phase III of the Human Rights Education Teaching Kit for Children aged between 7 and 14, a teaching kit for pre-school children between 4 and 6 and a demonstration video for pre-school education workers. Between October 1997 and the end of March 1998, the following programmes will be launched to promote human rights and equal opportunities ?a TV programme, workshops for pre-school education workers, videos for children and youngsters as well as a set of comic booklets for adolescents.
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|
On-going Commitment
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|
1994
|
7.
|
To implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
|
We attended the hearing of the initial report on Hong Kong under the UNCRC in October 1996. In accordance with the Concluding Observations of the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child, the United Kingdom Government submitted a Progress Report to the UN on 16 June 1997. We published this in bound, bilingual format on 25 June 1997. |
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Year
|
Pledge
|
Present Position
|
|
Action in Progress: On Schedule
|
|
1995
|
1.
|
To take steps to accelerate spending over the next four years in order to meet our target to complete minor works under the Rural Planning and Improvement Strategy (RPIS) programme (estimated expenditure $1.6 billion) up to 1999-2000.
|
The two-tier administrative structure with active participation of local communities is a great success to speed up the progress of the RPIS programme. We have been seeking the consent of private land owners to avoid lengthy land resumption procedures.
|
|
On-going Commitments
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|
1996
|
2.
|
In 1997, to recommend improvements in services for new arrivals from China:
-
by identifying the special needs of new arrivals through an inter-departmental Steering Committee; and
|
The Steering Committee has held nine meetings to obtain the views
of non-government organisations
and Government departments. Recommendations on service improvements, such as establishment of a new employment and guidance centre for new arrivals in Shau Kei Wan and opening up the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination to eligible new arrivals, have been made where appropriate.
|
|
|
|
-
by enhancing co-ordination with other parts of the Government in the provision
of services through the establishment of district
co-ordinating committees.
|
The 18 District Steering Committees have held regular meetings to identify the special needs, such as language training and employment assistance, of new arrivals in the districts.
|
|
1996
|
3.
|
In 1997, to recommend improvements in services for new arrivals from China:
|
|
|
|
|
-
by reviewing the existing provision of services by making use of the results of quarterly surveys on new arrivals conducted by the Home Affairs Department and relevant surveys done by other bodies. The results of the first survey were announced in August 1996 and we aim to make public the results of the second survey in November 1996; and
|
The survey is ongoing. Survey findings of 1996 have been released to service providers for reference. We are reviewing the methodology of the current survey with a view to obtaining a more accurate and comprehensive profile on new arrivals and will release the revised survey results regularly.
|
|
|
|
-
by monitoring the situation at the district level through our network of District Offices.
|
District offices have been collecting and disseminating information about services provided for new arrivals in the districts.
|
|
1996
|
4.
|
To provide alternative accommodation for bedspace apartment lodgers displaced as a result of the introduction in 1998 of a licensing scheme by completing the construction of a multi-storey hostel in Sham Shui Po in mid-1998 to accommodate about 300 lodgers.
|
Construction of the Sham Shui Po multi-storey hostel is underway with 20% of the project completed. It will be completed in mid-1998 as scheduled with a capacity to accommodate 310 lodgers.
|
|
1996
|
5.
|
To provide alternative accommodation for bedspace apartment lodgers displaced as a result of the introduction in 1998 of a licensing scheme by expediting the planning of another hostel in Western District.
|
Preliminary design for the High Street Government/Institution/Community Complex in Western District has been completed. Two and a half floors of
the complex will be used as singleton hostel to provide accommodation for 270 lodgers.
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|
1995
|
6.
|
To employ private contractors to design and construct minor works under the RPIS programme to ensure that projects are completed on time.
|
Three private contractors have been employed and employment of more contractors is in hand to expedite completion of the RPIS programme.
|
|
1995
|
7.
|
To continue to encourage the formation of Mutual Aid Committees (MACs) as part of
our effort to promote public participation in community
affairs and to improve building management.
|
In 1996-97, with the assistance of our District Offices, 78 new MACs were formed. We will continue to actively encourage residents to form MACs.
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|
Year
|
Pledge
|
Present Position
|
|
Action Completed
|
|
1996
|
1.
|
To ensure that appropriate and timely preparations are made to facilitate the staging of ceremonial activities in the weeks before and after 1獱uly?997, including world-class cultural and community events, to mark the historic event
of the handover of sovereignty in mid-1997.
|
The official programmes of cultural, entertainment and community activities for the Handover were implemented from May to September and were well received by the public. The cocktail reception of the Special Administrative Region was also held smoothly on
1 July 1997.
|
|
On-going Commitment
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|
1995
|
2.
|
To continue discussions with the Chinese Government on how the obligations to report on Hong Kong to the UN's treaty monitoring bodies will be met after 1 July 1997.
|
The reporting arrangements under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the International Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Racial Discrimination
have been agreed. The reporting arrangements for other UN human rights treaties are under discussion. |
Progress Report