The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to enclose a copy of a letter dated June 16, 1997, from His Excellency Mr. R.M.J. Lyne, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations at Geneva.
June 23, 1997
16 June 1997
United Kingdom Mission To the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organisations at Geneva
To: Dr. A. Bogsch, Director-General, World Intellectual Property Organisation
Sir,
I am instructed by Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to refer to the Patent Cooperation Treaty done at Washington on 19 June 1970 as amended on 28 September 1979 and modified on 3 February 1984 (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention") which applies to Hong Kong at present.
I am also instructed to state that, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong signed on 19 December 1984, the Government of the United Kingdom will restore Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997. The Government of the United Kingdom will continue to have international responsibility for Hong Kong until that date. Therefore, from that date the Government of the United Kingdom will cease to be responsible for the international rights and obligations arising from the application of the Convention to Hong Kong.
I should be grateful if the contents of this Note could be placed formally on record and brought to the attention of the other Parties to the Convention.
Please accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.
(signed:)
R. M. J. Lyne
Ambassador and Permanent Representative