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/></td> <td> <p style="font-size:1.4em;">United Nations</p> </td> <td> <p> <span style="font-size:2em;">CAT</span>/C/CHN-HKG/CO/5</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> <p style="font-weight:bold;font-size:1.7em;">Convention against Tortureand Other Cruel, Inhumanor Degrading Treatmentor Punishment</p> </td> <td> <p>Distr.: General</p> <p>3 February 2016</p> <p> </p> <p>Original: English</p> <p> </p> </td> </tr> </table> <div class="content"> <p style="font-weight:bold;font-size:1.2em;">Committee against Torture</p> <h2>Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of China with respect to Hong Kong, China<span style="font-weight:bold;">*</span><span style="font-size:1.2em;"> </span></h2> <p>1.The Committee against Torture considered the fifth periodic report of Hong Kong, China (CAT/C/CHN-HKG/5) at its 1368th and 1371st meetings (see CAT/C/SR.1368 and 1371), held on 17 and 18 November 2015, and adopted the present concluding observations at its 1392 and 1393 meetings, held on 3 December 2015. </p> <h3>A.Introduction</h3> <p>2.The Committee welcomes the submission of the report of Hong Kong, China, as part of the fifth periodic report of China. It also welcomes the written replies to the list of issues (CAT/C/CHN-HKG/Q/5/Add.1) and the supplementary information provided after the consideration of the report.</p> <p style="font-size:1.2em;">3.The Committee appreciates the quality of its dialogue with the multisectoral delegation and the responses provided orally to the questions and concerns raised during the consideration of the report .</p> <h3>B.Positive aspects</h3> <p>4.The Committee welcomes the following legislative measures in areas of relevance to the Convention:</p> <p>(a)The adoption of the Immigration (Amendment) Ordinance 2012 (Ord. No. 23 of 2012), which establishes a statutory process to request the non-refoulement protection of article 3 of the Convention;</p> <p>(b)The 2008 and 2010 amendments to the Domestic Violence Ordinance, extending its protection to former spouses, former cohabiting couples, same-sex cohabitants and former same-sex cohabitants.</p> <p>5.The Committee also welcomes the initiatives of Hong Kong, China to adopt measures or to amend policies and administrative measures to give effect to the Convention, including:</p> <p>(a)The gradual introduction since 2012 of low-radiation X-ray body scanners in reception centres to replace body cavity searches;</p> <p>(b)The 2014 extension by administrative means (the so-called  unified screening mechanism ) of the process to request non-refoulement protection to claims (a) on the grounds of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, under article 3 of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights; and (b) on the grounds of  persecution , with reference to the non-refoulement principle, under article 33 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees;</p> <p>(c)The organization of specific training programmes for health professionals and immigration officers on the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Istanbul Protocol);</p> <p>(d)The 2013 amendment to the prosecution code, which provides guidelines for prosecutors to handle cases of forced labour;</p> <p>(e)The set-up of an interdepartmental working group on gender recognition, to consider legislation and incidental administrative measures that may be required to protect the rights of transsexual persons in Hong Kong, China.</p> <h3>C.Principal subjects of concern and recommendations</h3> <h3>Pending follow-up issues from the previous reporting cycle</h3> <p>6.The Committee notes with appreciation the compliance of Hong Kong, China with the follow-up procedure. While appreciating some positive legislative (see para. 4 (a) above) and administrative (see para. 5 (b) above) measures, the Committee notes with concern that, according to the data provided by Hong Kong, China, from December 2009 to May 2015, only 32 non-refoulement claims out of 6,628 were considered substantiated, which is indicative of a distinctly high threshold for granting protection. The Committee also takes into account reports on the difficulties claimants face in accessing the decisions of the Torture Claims Appeal Board, which are not published, thereby impeding the effective preparation of their cases. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned at the plans to fast-track the system to address the large backlog of pending applications (of which there are currently more than 10,000), since such a measure may negatively impact the fairness and thoroughness of the screening procedure. It notes with concern the position of Hong Kong, China that the extension to it of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees  would subject its immigration regime to abuses and thus undermine public interest , which prima facie portrays all claimants in need of protection as abusers of the system. In that regard, the Committee is concerned that claims of non-refoulement are not entertained unless the person concerned has overstayed his or her visa and becomes officially  illegal , forcing potential victims of torture to wait until that period expires in order to register with the unified screening mechanism and gain access to rehabilitation and humanitarian assistance. The Committee also notes with concern that, by failing to give refugee status to unified screening mechanism claimants, it denies them access to legal work, thereby compelling them to live on in-kind assistance below the poverty line for long periods of time (art. 3).</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">7. The Committee calls on Hong Kong, China to review the no