Mr Simpson-Orlebar
HKK 243/1
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- 7 JUN1979
Reference
No 187.6 Places
по
UN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
1.
REFUGEES
Mr
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My Guid
Mr Simons, Head of SEAD, asked me this morning for my thoughts on the possible scenario for a UN conference on Indo-China refugees. I told him that, as far as I could see, the venue and timing of the conference would be something for Dr Waldheim to decide in the Light of his own commitments and of the timing of other UN meetings. I said, however, that I thought Geneva would be the ideal venue since the UNHCR headquarters are there. I also said that I did not believe it would be useful for the conference to be convened too quickly. The objective would be to secure more resettlement places for refugees and a greater sharing of the resettlement burden. I f UN Member States were rushed into attending the conference many of them would simply say that they had not had time to consult and consider resettlement quotas. They would probably promise sympathetically to consider accepting refugees but would forget about it once the conference was over Member States must therefore be given plenty of time to consider the objectives of the conference and their own positions so that no excuses could then be made that there had been a lack of time for proper consultations. I said I envisaged that at least a month should elapse before the conference would take place.
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I also added that I would expect all members of the UNHCR Executive Committee to be invited plus a large number of other States, including Eastern bloc countries (the latter could at least be urged to make finance available if not resettlement places). I cautioned, however that some African
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States might well be upset at the idea
of an international conference being convened to discuss the refugee problem in South East Asia. It was already quite clear that some African States were annoyed to think that the UNHCR was already paying too much attention the problem of South East Asia and, consequently, not enough to the refugee problem in Africa where there are already several million refugees and displaced persons who need urgent help from the UNHCR. I
I said it would surprise me if African States (having in mind the Rhodesia refugee problem) asked Britain when she was going to take the initiative and call an international· conference to help their refugees.
3.
I also suggested that we must not appear to be going over the head of the UNHCR. We needed Mr Hartling, especially in Africa, and would want to be seen to be helping him to solve the Indo-China refugee problem. There was a need therefore to consult him closely
to take unilateral action which might isolate him.
4. I have consulted UKMis Geneva who have not yet had time to gather their own thoughts on all this but they have endorsed what I have said above with regard to the venue and the need not to give the impression that we have other than full confidence in Mr Hartling.
1 June 1979
CC
Mr Simons, SEAD
CODE
Mr McLaren,
Mr Snoxell,
HK&GD
UKMis Geneva
Mr McCrory, News Dept
Rhodesia Dept
CAFD, EAD, NENAD, SAfD
P Morgan
UN Department
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