Delegation to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on the Race Discrimination Bill of the Hong Kong SAR Geneva, 3 March 2008

UNCERD expressed great interest and deep concern
in the Hong Kong Race Discrimination Bill

Civic Party legislator Margaret Ng who has just returned this afternoon from a meeting with the United Nation Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva says that the Committee expressed great interest and deep concern in the Hong Kong Race Discrimination Bill and may consider issuing a “early warning” letter to the PRC Government or taking “urgent action” under new procedures of the Committee.

Miss Ng was with a Hong Kong delegation organized by Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor Law Yuk Kai. Other members comprised Hong Kong Bar Association representatives, Chairman Rimsky Yuen SC and Mr. P. Y. Lo; Director of the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities, Mr. Patrick Yu, Representative of the Hong Kong Against Racial Discrimination and Research Assistant Professor of the Law Department, University of Hong Kong, Ms. Kelley Loper; Hong Kong Unison representatives, Director Wong Wai Fun Fermi and Ms. Devi Novianti; Representative of the Asian Migrant Centre, Ms. Christina de Falco and Director of the Human Rights Monitor Mr. Law Yuk Kai.

The delegation was received by an unprecedented turnout of 14 out of the 18-member CERD, which has set up a special group headed by Mr. Patrick Thornberry (United Kingdom) to look into the matter and follow up action including early warning and urgent action.

“We have been given a very warm reception. Committee members have obviously read the submissions we have sent in advance and asked many pertinent questions. There is no doubt that Members of the Committee consider the Hong Kong bill in its current form short of the requirements of the ICERD (International Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Racial Discrimination) and are sympathetic. The question is what action they can take to be of assistance,” said Ms. Ng: “ I think the meeting was extremely fruitful and certainly worthwhile.”

Photo caption﹕
From left: Patrick Yu, Rimsky Yuen SC, Wong Wai Fun Fermi, Devi Novianti, Law Yuk Kai, Kelley Loper, Christina de Falco, Margaret Ng and P. Y. Lo

A photo of the Hong Kong delegation can be downloaded from the following links:
http://www.civicparty.hk/temp080304/P1000593.JPG
http://www.civicparty.hk/temp080304/P1000594.JPG