RESTRICTED
UNS 243/34.
United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations
845 Third Avenue New York NY 10022
T M Dowse Esq
UND
FCO
Reaz pl. capy
This to FIKK GD
then rearre.
Dear Tum,
INDO CHINESE REFUGEES
milo
Ли Мотот
т
1557/
бита
Outer M.
т
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Pour reference
Our reference 243/6
Date
6 June 1979
DOG: INDEX
Мо
PA
£18.6
51
(851) 1. In paragraph 7 of Geneva telno 173, Sir James Murray reports the complaints of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees about the UN budget.
2.
Hartling is mistaken to suppose that Western countries oppose UNHCR staff increases in the ACABQ, since members of the ACABQ are elected in their individual capacity and are not under instruction from their governments.
3. Moreover, the ACABQ has consistently shown itself sympathetic and helpful towards the UNHCR budget, and in particular has supported the case, based on the governing statute in General Assembly resolution 428(V), for transferring extrabudgetary posts to the regular budget. By contrast, the CPC has in recent years made difficulties on this score, though it has been overruled by the General Assembly.
4.
When the 1978-1979 programme budget was discussed in the Fifth Committee at the thirty-second session, the UK delegation was prominent in defending the ACABQ's recommendations for the transfer of extrabudgetary posts, which were then approved by the General Assembly. The UK delegation on that occasion was thanked by representatives of UNHCR who were present.
5. The programme budget proposals for 1980-1981 which are now being examined by the ACABQ have been very tightly drawn by the Financial Controller in response to the joint demarche made by the UK, France, FRG and Japan as well as by the US. Section 21, which contains the regular budget proposals for UNHCR, has an above-average proposed growth rate, but explicitly holds back on extrabudgetary transfers to achieve economy. This is a legitimate cause for complaint by the High Commissioner, but his criticism should be directed at Waldheim and his budgetary staff, who are trying by this means to pass the buck, rather than at the big contributors and the ACABQ. The latter in particular is powerless to rectify the situation which has now been created; and it would be most undesirable for the major contributors to suggest restorations in the Fifth Committee,
DATUMPFITT AANTA
/since.....
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