The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Human Rights Committee presents its findings on the political and civil rights in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China.
Speakers:
- Photini PAZARTZIS, Chairperson of the Committee
- Christopher Arif BULKAN, Vice-chair of the Committee
- Vasilka SANCIN, Vice-chair of the Committee
Top rights experts urge repeal of Hong Kong’s national security law
Independent UN-appointed human rights experts who have urged China to repeal Hong Kong’s 2020 national security law (NSL) after claiming that its use had led to the arrest of children, said on Wednesday that they welcomed pledges to replace it with a more transparent and consultative process.
Chinese and Hong Kong officials have said the law, imposed “overnight” by Beijing in June 2020, was necessary to restore and safeguard stability after anti-government and anti-China demonstrations erupted in 2019.
The UN Human Rights Committee underscored the shortcomings of the National Security Law (NSL), including its lack of clarity on “national security” and the possibility of transferring cases from Hong Kong to mainland China.
“There was a lot of discussions on recent legislation, including Hong Kong National Security Law. I think there was a constructive discussion on those issues and the committee did raise its concerns,” said Photini Pazartzis, Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee, at a press conference in Geneva.
The panel urged Hong Kong to repeal the national security law and, in the meantime, refrain from applying it.
“The Committee was deeply concerned about the overly broad interpretation of Hong Kong National Security Law, the NSL, which was passed by the National People’s Congress of China without consultation with the Hong Kong’s public,” said vice chair, Christopher Arif Balkan. He added that since it was introduced in 2020, the NSL had reportedly led to the arrests of “over 200 people, including 12 children.”
The Committee monitors the application of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by State parties. It released its findings on Hong Kong following a scheduled review in Geneva.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a signatory to the Covenant for investigation, prosecution, trial and execution of penalties, but mainland China is not.
“Once a State party has subscribed to the Covenant, there is an obligation that those rights are paramount. In other words, your local legislation cannot derogate from those rights. There are human rights, after all, universal rights,” explained Mr. Arif Balkan. “China is not a party to the ICCPR. But then China can implement the NSL within Hong Kong. So that creates a lacuna for residents of Hong Kong,” he added.
Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high level of autonomy, including freedom of expression. Representatives of the semi-autonomous territory informed the Committee that they were contemplating new national security legislation. The Committee members said they hoped the law could be amended for the better.
“They gave us assurances, that there would be transparency, consultation in enacting a new security law,” said Mr. Arif Balkan.
The UN Human Rights Committee published its findings on Hong Kong, China, among other countries, after the closing of its 135th session on Wednesday in the Swiss city.
The findings contained the Committee's main concerns and recommendations on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as positive aspects.
The Human Rights Committee monitors States parties’ compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has been ratified by 173 States parties. The Committee is made up of 18 members who are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties.
Ends
STORY: Human Rights Committee on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China
TRT: 02’23”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: Wednesday 27 July 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
-
- Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
- Wide shot, press room with panel of speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Photini PAZARTZIS, Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee: “There was a lot of discussions on recent legislation, including Hong Kong National Security Law. I think there was a constructive discussion on those issues and the committee did raise its concerns.”
- Medium shot, lateral, journalists and photographer.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Christopher Arif BULKAN, Vice-chair of the Committee: “The committee was deeply concerned about the overly-broad interpretation of Hong Kong’s National Security Law, the NSL, which was passed by the National People’s Congress of China without consultation with the Hong Kong Since its enactment in 2020, the NSL has reportedly led to the arrests of over 200 people, including 12 children.”
- Medium shot, journalist.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Christopher Arif BULKAN, Vice-chair of the Committee: “Once a State party has subscribed to it, is party to the Covenant, there is an obligation that those rights are paramount. In other words, your local legislation cannot detract from it, cannot derogate from those rights. They are human rights, after all, universal rights.”
- Medium shot, journalist, laptop in foreground, blurred.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Christopher Arif BULKAN, Vice-chair of the Committee: “China is not a party to the ICCPR. So, there is this conundrum, if you will, that China is not a party but then China can implement the NSL within Hong Kong. So that creates a sort of lacuna for residents of Hong Kong in terms of, ‘Where do you get redress?’”
- Medium shot of journalists and UN staff in the press room.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Christopher Arif BULKAN, Vice-chair of the Committee: “In light of the fact that they are considering a new national security law and given the fact, the criticisms of the existing one that was imposed overnight in 2020, whether they would have an inclusive, transparent process in doing so; and they gave us assurances which we welcomed, that in enacting a new security law, that there would be transparency, there would be consultation and so on.”
- Various shots of press room, journalists and UN staff listening.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , HRC
Volker Türk, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, made the following remarks during a briefing to a Special Session on Iran at the Human Rights Council.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , UNOPS , UNIS
Amid the launch of President Trump's Board of Peace and reconstruction talks on Gaza, UN aid agencies insisted on Friday that what Gazans need most is immediate relief from the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe there.
2
6
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | HRC
At UN, war crimes probe pledges to continue to work for all impacted by Hamas-Israel conflict
As President Trump launched the international Board of Peace plan for Gaza on Thursday, top independent rights experts tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with investigating grave abuses linked to the Hamas-Israel war pledged to continue their work seeking justice and accountability for all.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk was outraged by the repeated large-scale attacks by the Russian Federation on energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN warns against repeating abuses in South Kordofan that occurred in El Fasher.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
Mozambique floods heighten disease, malnutrition risks – UN agencies
Catastrophic flooding in Mozambique is causing massive disruption to lives and livelihoods across the country, increasing the risk of disease and exposing urban areas to crocodiles, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OCHA
Yemen: Children are dying and it’s going to get worse, aid veteran warns
In Yemen, renewed political instability threatens and economic woes linked to the war to complicate the already difficult task of helping vulnerable people suffering from deepening hunger, illness and displacement, the UN's top aid official there said on Monday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , IFRC
Ukraine: Families in ‘survival mode’ amid Russian strikes and -18°C cold
Families across Ukraine are in “constant survival mode” amid ongoing waves of Russian missile and drone strikes that have left blocks without power for days at a time, while temperatures plunge to a deadly -18°C (-0.4°F), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press conference in Geneva, UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence urges Iranian authorities to end violent repression and calls for accountability.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Gaza: A ceasefire that ‘still buries children’ is not enough, says UNICEF
Airstrikes, drone strikes and hypothermia are among the lethal conditions prevailing in Gaza despite the ceasefire, with more than 100 children killed since early October, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
At the UN bi-weekly press conference in Geneva, UN Human Rights Spokesperson Marta Hurtado commented on the widespread repression and intimidation against political opposition ahead of the general elections in Uganda.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
Aid agencies marked 1,000 days of war in Sudan on Friday with a grim reminder that the conflict has created the world’s biggest hunger crisis and largest displacement emergency. Every day, civilians have been “paying the price for a war they did not choose”, said the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.