To ensure the security of all participants of the World Trade Organisation's sixth ministerial conference in Hong Kong this December, the Police have set up nine working groups and will draw up a security plan.

The Commerce, Industry & Technology Bureau today told lawmakers the conference will be held at the Convention & Exhibition Centre from December 13 to 18.

It anticipated about 11,000 participants, including 6,000 delegates, 3,000 press and 2,000 non-governmental organisation representatives.

The Police will be responsible for the conference's security arrangements, the bureau said.

The primary objective is to ensure the safety of all participants in Hong Kong during the meeting, and the facilitation of freedom of expression of those who wish to protest while keeping inconvenience and disruption to the community to a minimum.

Manpower deployment

The Police will also look after public order and safety. The force has set up nine working groups to review a number of issues.

They will formulate a plan for deploying officers which will be refined on a continuous basis to reflect the updated assessment of threats and information.

To ensure maximum staff availability, resources management measures will be enforced, most notably a leave restriction for all frontline officers, immediately before and during the conference period.

On the venue's security, only people and vehicles which have undergone an accreditation process and obtained a personalised accreditation badge may have access to the centre and other venues designated for the conference's use. The MC6 Co-ordination Office is working closely with the WTO Secretariat and Police to develop an accreditation system.

Special traffic, crowd control and other security arrangements will have to be introduced during MC6, including road closures, traffic diversions and special arrangements for certain public transport services.

District Councils to be consulted

The Government is considering the specific arrangements that may need to be put in place in detail. It will consult the relevant District Councils and try to keep the disruption to the community to a minimum.

In the coming months, the Government will reach out to the affected businesses and building management companies to brief them on MC6 and discuss what measures they may wish to adopt in the run-up to and during the conference.

It will also ask the operators of public utilities, financial institutions, public transport operators to formulate plans in light of MC6.

First day arrangements

The Government anticipates on December 13, the first day of MC6, participants will converge at Convention & Exhibition Centre at the same time and protestors may also gather in the vicinity. Concerned departments will make preparations for necessary special arrangements.

To reduce traffic jams and inconvenience to the public, the Government will take steps to divert public transport links away from the immediate vicinity.