In anticipation of the number and the scale of related public activities to be held during the World Trade Organisation's Sixth Ministerial Conference in December, the Government is identifying a number of sites as designated public activity areas.

These areas will mainly be located in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, taking into account public order, public safety, traffic impacts and event security, the Trade & Industry Department said.

As the host of the Conference, the Hong Kong Government will facilitate non-governmental organisations' peaceful activities while ensuring public order and the conference's smooth conduct.

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

The Government 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.

Committee will review all applications

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

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

The committee will consider all booking applications together in detail, taking into account public interest.

Groups urged to conduct activities peacefully

In particular, it urges organisations to ensure all activities be conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner.

Pointing out that the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference is still five months away, the Government said the actual number of applications will not be known and the exact venue allocation could only be decided at a later stage when the overall picture is clearer.