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the US would probably oppose the proposal as they did not like many of the Prince's ideas. In his view, what was required was a certain enhancing of the role of the UN High Commissioner. Douglas also told me that he thought Perez de Cuellar would fight very hard not to have the Prince sitting alongside him! Despite all this, the UK attitude to the proposal should be considered on its merits. I should like in due course to see a paper setting out the pros and cons.
5. I should also mention that Lord Cranbourne, who had been invited because of his interest in the fate of the Afghan refugees, felt strongly that Western governments, including HMG, could do more to shame the Soviet Union and the Afghan régime by giving much more publicity to the fate of the 3 to 4 million refugees in Pakistan and to the atrocities performed by the régime within Afghanistan. Lord N. Gordon Lennox and Mr. Donald
may have views.
6.
I will not report on aspects of interest to Mr. Browning (ODA) or Mr. Hyde (Home Office), who also participated, as did Mr. Long of UKMis Geneva, who provided the excellent report on the work of one of the three Conference groups.
10 May 1983
V
dwas
W.J. Adams
c.c.
Mr. Egerton
Mr. Donald o.r.
Lord N. Gordon Lennox
Mr. Long, UKMis, Geneva
Mr. Browning, ODA
Mr. Hyde, Home Office.
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