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the Committee on these two territories. But we might in the
future, for tactical reasons, want to invite a visiting mission
to Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands, despite the opposition
of the claimant governments and even if we knew our invitation
would be turned down. The arguments against tying our hands
are even stronger in the case of Belize. For various reasons
(eg the support for Belize from some Caribbean states, and the
African origin of the inhabitants) the Committee is likely to
be lukewarm towards the Guatemalan claim. We may possibly
wish in the future to take advantage of our participation in Committee debates to press the Blize case and even propose
a visiting mission. The Premier of Belize already favours
this sort of approach. It would not therefore seem wise to
inhibit ourselves by a self-denying ordinance at this stage.
I recommend that we should make this qualification to Mr Richard.
New Hebrides
31.
Special difficulties will also be caused by the fact that
the New Hebrides is a condominium jointly administered by
France and Britain. As the French do not co-operate with the
Committee of 24, we shall bear the brunt of criticism in the
Committee for the slow constitutional progress in the New
Hebrides which is due solely to French policies. While discreetly
making clear our wish for a more enlightened policy, we shall
have to avoid antagonising the French whose co-operation we need
if any progress is to be made at all in the territory. We shall need to make clear that we are not the sole administering
power and in the absence of the French our participation in the
/Committee's
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