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ICESCR to Continue to Apply to HKSAR, Spokesman
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) will continue to apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region subject to two statements made by the central government, a spokesman for the SAR government said on Friday.
With regard to the application of the ICESCR to the HKSAR, the central government notified the UN Secretary General on April 20, 2001 of the following statements, the spokesman said.
One of the statements is that Article 6 of the Covenant does not preclude the formulation of regulations by the HKSAR for employment restrictions, based on place of birth or residence qualifications, for the purpose of safeguarding the employment opportunities of local workers in the HKSAR.
The other statement is that "National federations or confederations" in Article 8.1(b) of the Covenant shall be interpreted, in this case, as "federations or confederations in the HKSAR" and this Article does not imply the right of trade union federations or confederations to form or join political organizations or bodies established outside the HKSAR.
The spokesman further explained that the statement on the application of Article 6 is a continuous effort to safeguard the employment opportunities of local workers.
"On the application of Article 8(1)(b), it clarifies interpretation on the right of trade unions to establish federations or confederations in Hong Kong," he said.
The ICESCR is one of the six major human rights treaties that apply to Hong Kong.
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