Press Release

Government facilitates NGOs' activities during
Hong Kong Ministerial Conference

Monday, July 18, 2005

As the host of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Sixth Ministerial Conference (Hong Kong Ministerial Conference), the Hong Kong SAR Government will facilitate peaceful activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) while ensuring public order and the smooth conduct of the Conference.

The assurance was given at a meeting between Hong Kong People's Alliance on the World Trade Organization (HKPAWTO) and Hong Kong Ministerial Conference Co-ordination Office (MCO), the Trade and Industry Department, the Security Bureau, Hong Kong Police Force and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department today (July 18).

"As host, Hong Kong attaches great importance to the conference to be held from December 13 to 18 this year," a Government spokesman said.

"There is no other vehicle that can work as effectively as the WTO in the promotion and protection of Hong Kong's trade interest. Being the only international organisation governing the rules of trade between economies, the WTO guarantees a level playing field for Hong Kong's manufacturers and service providers to compete in the world market. It helps us guard against arbitrary and discriminatory trade actions against our businessmen", the spokesman added.

The hosting of the conference underlines Hong Kong's active and constructive participation in the WTO and raises Hong Kong's international profile as a bastion of free trade. A successful outcome of the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference and the Doha round of negotiations will help bring about further trade and services liberalisation and hence new trade and commercial opportunities to Hong Kong.

As well as trying bring about the success of the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference in both substantive and logistical terms, the spokesman said that efforts would be made to enhance the transparency and openness of the event.

"For the first time in the history of the WTO Ministerial Conferences, the Press Centre and the NGO Centre will be housed together under the same roof in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where all the main proceedings of the conference will be held," said the spokesman.

In anticipation of the number and the scale of related public activities to be held during the conference period, the spokesman said, "We are identifying a number of possible sites as designated public activity areas for public meetings. We envisage that these designated public activity areas will mainly be located in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, having regard to such factors as public order, public safety, impact on traffic, security and conduct of the event."

The spokesman urged all interested organisations to submit applications for using public places for meetings early to the departments concerned to facilitate processing. Groups that wish to hold public meetings during the conference period should also notify the Police in accordance with the law and established procedures.

He added that requests had been received regarding Victoria Park and barring unforeseeable circumstances, the park would be reserved for conference-related public activities.

An inter-departmental committee, comprising members from the MCO, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department etc, has been formed to consider the various applications.

"All booking applications will be considered together by the committee in detail, taking into account public interest. In particular, we urge organisations to ensure all activities be conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner."

Pointing out that the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference was still some five months away, the spokesman said the actual number of applications would not be known at such an early stage and the exact venue allocation could only be decided at a later stage when the overall picture was clearer.

"We will continue to maintain a dialogue with NGOs as well as with other groups, both locally and from overseas, in the run-up to and during the conference, with a view to facilitating their freedom of expression and conduct of orderly and peaceful demonstrations," the spokesman said.

Ends