| Comic booklets to promote human rights treaties（with Annexes） |
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To promote public awareness, particularly among young people, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau (CMAB) has published two comic booklets to introduce the principal provisions of these two important international human rights treaties in a reader-friendly manner. A spokesman for the CMAB said today (April 15), "The Government is committed to the protection of human rights in Hong Kong. The publication of the comic booklets is part of our efforts to promote public understanding of these two treaties. "The ICCPR is an important human rights treaty that applies to Hong Kong. It is implemented in Hong Kong through the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance. "On the other hand, the CRC safeguards the basic human rights of children, which include the right to life; the right to the development of their full physical and mental potential; the right to protection from influences that are harmful to their development; and the right to participation in family, cultural and social life. The year 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the CRC. The booklet is one of the initiatives that aims to raise public awareness of children’s rights. "The booklets contain illustrations of the principal provisions of the treaties and in language that is easy to understand. They also include the full text of the treaties and relevant websites for readers who would like to study the treaties further," the spokesman added. The booklets are now available free of charge from all Public Enquiry Service Centres of District Offices and the Civic Education Resource Centre. Ends/Wednesday, April 15, 2009 |