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Reference. HKG 025/3
7
OUTLINE OF POINTS RAISED DURING MEETING BETWEEN MR IVOR RICHARD AND MR STANLEY
HELD IN ROOM W38 AT 5 PM ON MONDAY 23 MAY 1977
1. The meeting was to discuss Mr Richard's letter to Mr Stanley of 10 May in which Mr Richard dwelt on the problems of handling the Dependent Territories issues in the United Nations.
2. Those attending were Mr Duff, WIAD, Mr Simpson-Orlebar, UND, and myself. Mr Stanley outlined the position of DT's and mentioned that consideration was being given to take back some of the powers to Governors which had been entrusted to Ministers. Mr Richard saw difficulty in presenting this to the UN and he pointed out that he did not want delegations appearing in New York creating a fuss about such matters.
3. Mr Richard saw no difficulty in DTs being told that they could only spend aid etc on specific matters and that if they wanted to use funds for other matters they would then have to become independent.
4.
Mr Richard saw no way that UN would accept responsibility for looking after the small DT's and in any case even if UN agreed there would have to be a change in the UN Charter which the UK resists.
5.
Mr Stanley said that the Commonwealth Secretariat does not fore small DTs.
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6.
Mr Richard mentioned the problem of Granada which apparently is threatening to go to IMF to "expose" the UK. (UK still gives aid to Granada.) Mr Stanley said the the Pacific DTs, with the exception of Pitcairn, should become independent by the early 1980s and that once satisfactory arrangements have been reached with Belize, Falkland Islands and Gibraltar and when Bermuda has become independent the only Territories remaining will be those in the Caribbean (apart from St Helena, Ascension and Tristan). There is some hope that one of the Associated States will go for independence and this might cause the others to follow.
7. There was some discussion where next year's Committee of 24 Mission should visit. Mr Stanley did not want them to visit the Pacific area and it was suggested that they might be encouraged to visit St Helena although Mr Duff was not very happy about this.
CODE 18-77
24 May 1977
J Jasper
Hong Kong and General Department K270
233-4069