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virtue in rejoining the Committee and then having to fight a continuing defensive battle without the supporting presence
of our Americans and European allies". Furthermore, the
Chairman of the Committee has advised against our full re-entry
as have some of the friendly members.
11.
It is therefore unlikely that we would get much credit
from full membership, while we stand to suffer considerable dis-
advantage. The more limited form of co-operation recommended
by Mr Richard and considered below would seem a more
rewarding course of action.
Specific Recommendations
Provision of Information (Paragraph 6(a) of letter)
12. Mr Richard recommends that we should provide the Committee
with information on developments in our dependent territories
both on our own initiative and in response to requests from
the Committee. This seems a sensible step.
13. There is, however, a point of presentation with important
implications of substance. Mr Richard states "We should
explicitly and publicly recognise the Committee's role and ask
to be associated with it". The Committee's mandate is to
examine the application of General Assembly Resolution 1514 of 1960 and to make suggestions and recommendations on its
implementation. General Assembly Resolution 15144, on which the
UK abstained, is not altogether in harmony with our policies,
in particular as regards its emphasis on independence for all
and on the non-divisibility of the territory of states. Further-
more, the Committee has subsequently claimed functions which
would interfere with the responsibilities of the Administering
/Power, such as
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