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firm recommendations. What do we do in the meantime? Subject to other views, I believe we should develop the idea that Peter Marshall put forward at the end of last year and create an ad hoc liaison group in Geneva of Western donor governments, to act as a. ginger group. They could monitor coordination on existing relief operations, applying pressure to correct nonsenses where appropriate. They might in addition institute an analysis of the failures of coordination in one particular emergency operation (possibly Cambodia) to see if any general conclusions can be drawn for the future. Thirdly, they could perhaps ensure that reaction to future emergencies is undertaken by a single agency from the beginning, even though others might assist. It would then be possible to persuade the voluntary agencies to accept a secondary role rather than exercise their right to do what they please.
10. I should be grateful for all comments and suggestions on this complex subject. I am only too well aware that, despite its length this letter is by no means comprehensive. Other issues that will have to be taken into account when we consider our attitude in ECOSOC include the future of UNDRO following the JIU report, and a resolution of the sometimes uneasy relationship between UNHCR and the developmental agencies. At some stage too we shall have to try our hands at a definition of what is 'emergency' and what is 'development', with all the emotive overtones that implies.
Yours
BLAN
Lan
J W Mackley
United Nations Department
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Mr M I Goulding Mr JP Nason OBE Mr D A Burns
Mrs Morphet Assistants: -
Mr Windsor
Mr Wootton Mr Hards
SEAD,
UKMis New York
Kampala
Bangkok
Research Dept
SAD, CAFD, EAD, WAD, HKG, SAFD
UND(A)ODA
UND(B)ODA
Disasters Unit, ODA
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