On signing the Covenant the Government of the United Kingdom made the following declaration:
"First, the Government of the United Kingdom declare their understanding that, by virtue of Article 103 of the Charter of the United Nations, in the event of any conflict between their obligations under Article 1 of the Covenant and their obligations under the Charter (in particular, under Articles 1, 2 and 73 thereof) their obligations under the Charter shall prevail."On depositing their instrument of ratification of the Covenant the Government of the United Kingdom made the following reservations and declarations:
"Firstly the Government of the United Kingdom maintain their declaration in respect of Article 1 made at the time of signature of the Covenant.""The Government of the United Kingdom reserve the right to apply to members of and persons serving with the armed forces of the Crown and to persons lawfully detained in penal establishments of whatever character such laws and procedures as they may from time to time deem to be necessary for the preservation of service and custodial discipline and their acceptance of the provisions of the Covenant is subject to such restrictions as may for these purposes from time to time be authorized by law."
"Where at any time there is a lack of suitable prison facilities or where the mixing of adults and juveniles is deemed to be mutually beneficial, the Government of the United Kingdom reserve the right not to apply Article 10.2(b) and 10.3 so far as those provisions require juveniles who are detained to be accommodated separately from adults, ..."
"The Government of the United Kingdom reserve the right to interpret the provisions of Article 12.1 relating to the territory of a State as applying separately to each of the territories comprising the United Kingdom and its dependencies."
"The Government of the United Kingdom reserve the right to continue to apply such immigration legislation governing entry into, stay in and departure from the United Kingdom as they may deem necessary from time to time and, accordingly, their acceptance of Article 12.4 and of the other provisions of the Covenant is subject to the provisions of any such legislation as regards persons not at the time having the right under the law of the United Kingdom to enter and remain in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom also reserves a similar right in regard to each of its dependent territories."
"The Government of the United Kingdom reserve the right not to apply Article 13 in Hong Kong in so far as it confers a right of review of a decision to deport an alien and a right to be represented for this purpose before the competent authority."
"The Government of the United Kingdom interpret Article 20 consistently with the rights conferred by Articles 19 and 21 of the Covenant and having legislated in matters of practical concern in the interests of public order (ordre public) reserve the right not to introduce any further legislations. The United Kingdom also reserve a similar in regard to each of its dependent territories."
"The Government of the United Kingdom reserve the right to enact such nationality legislation as they may deem necessary from time to time to reserve the acquisition and possession of citizenship under such legislation to those having sufficient connection with the United Kingdom or any of its dependent territories and accordingly their acceptance of Article 24.3 and of the other provisions of the Covenant is subject to the provisions of any such legislation."
"The Government of the United Kingdom reserve the right not to apply sub-paragraph (b) of Article 25 in so far as it may require the establishment of an elected Executive or Legislative Council in Hong Kong ...".
"The Government of the United Kingdom declares under Article 41 of this Covenant that it recognizes the competence of the Human Rights Committee to receive and consider communications submitted by another State Party, provided that such other State Party has, not less than twelve months prior to the submission by it of a communication relating to the United Kingdom, made a declaration under Article 41 recognizing the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications relating to itself."(Contents of this booklet, other than the sections on the applications of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to Hong Kong, are extracted from the "International Bill of Human Rights" Fact Sheet No. 2 published by the Centre for Human Rights, United Nations Office at Geneva)
Created on July 14, 1994 / Last edited on January 27, 1997