三、香港特别行政区各项事业取得全面进步
香港特别行政区成立以来,在中央政府和祖国内地的大力支持下,特别行政区政府团结带领香港各界人士,攻坚克难,砥砺奋进,充分发挥“一国两制”的制度优势,保持香港社会经济政治大局稳定,推动各项事业向前发展,不断取得新成就、新进步。
——香港居民的基本权利和自由得到充分保护。香港居民依法享有的基本权利和自由,受到宪法、香港基本法以及香港本地法律的充分保障。宪法和香港基本法从宪制层面确保了香港特别行政区居民的基本权利和自由,香港特别行政区还通过实施《性别歧视条例》、《种族歧视条例》、《个人资料(私隐)条例》、《独立监察警方处理投诉委员会条例》、《最低工资条例》等法例,为香港居民的权利和自由提供进一步保障。特别行政区政府设立平等机会委员会、个人资料私隐专员公署、申诉专员公署、法律援助署、独立监察警方处理投诉委员会、法律援助服务局、妇女委员会、扶贫委员会等多个机构,协助推广、保护居民的基本权利和自由。
此外,香港基本法明确规定,香港特别行政区居民中的中国公民依法参与国家事务的管理。根据全国人大确定的名额和代表产生办法,由香港居民中的中国公民选出香港特别行政区的全国人大代表,参加最高国家权力机关的工作。香港特别行政区先后举行四届全国人大代表选举,每届均由具有广泛代表性的全国人大代表选举会议选举产生36名代表。中国人民政治协商会议历来重视吸收香港同胞参加,除特邀香港人士界别外,其他一些界别也吸收香港社会代表性人士。政协第十二届全国委员会特邀香港人士界别有香港地区委员124人,其他16个界别有香港地区委员82人。
III. Comprehensive Progress Made in Various Undertakings in the HKSAR
Since the establishment of the HKSAR, the government of the Special Administrative Region has, with energetic support from the central government and the mainland, rallied people of all walks of life in Hong Kong, worked hard and overcome difficulties, made full use of the advantage of the policy of "one country, two systems," maintained overall social, economic and political stability, promoted the development of all undertakings and made new achievements one after another.
-HKSAR residents' fundamental rights and freedoms are fully protected. Hong Kong residents enjoy basic rights and freedoms in accordance with the law, which are under the full protection of the Constitution, the Basic Law and the local laws. The Constitution and the Basic Law safeguard the HKSAR residents' fundamental rights and freedoms at the constitutional level. The HKSAR provides further protection to residents' rights and freedoms by enacting the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, Race Discrimination Ordinance, Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) Ordinance, Minimum Wage Ordinance and other ordinances. A multitude of organs, including the Equal Opportunity Commission, Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Office of the Ombudsman, Legal Aid Department, Independent Police Complaints Council, Legal Aid Services Council, Women's Commission and Commission on Poverty, have been set up by the HKSAR government to help promote and protect HKSAR residents' fundamental rights and freedoms.In addition, the Basic Law explicitly stipulates that Chinese citizens who are residents of the HKSAR shall be entitled to participation in the management of state affairs according to law. In accordance with the assigned number of seats and the selection method specified by the NPC, the Chinese citizens among the HKSAR residents elect deputies of the region to the NPC to participate in the work of China's supreme organ of state power. The HKSAR has held in succession four such elections and 36 deputies were elected each time by the broadly representative Conference for Electing Deputies of the HKSAR to the NPC. The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) always values the participation of Hong Kong compatriots. Aside from specially inviting Hong Kong personages, other CPPCC groups also include representatives from Hong Kong. The 12th CPPCC National Committee had a 124-member Hong Kong group, and 16 other CPPCC groups had 82 members from Hong Kong.