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3. The Australians thought that it was important to keep up the momentum of Honolulu. Consultations with other resettlement countries would help. But they thought it premature to include ASEAN countries at this stage. Although ASEAN understood the purpose of the present consultations they should not be brought into the dialogue now.
4.
The United States said that Honolulu had initiated coordination and planning between resettlement countries. Resettlement must be maintained at a predictable and rational level. The US thought UNHCR should have a central role in new programmes and consultations between resettlement countries would be complimentary to UNHCR's efforts. Canada saw the Honolulu Conference as the beginning of a new phase. Japan said that the Conference highlighted the gravity of the situation and agreed that ASEAN would have to be included eventually. The United Kingdom thanked those who had attended Honolulu for their de-briefing. The UK would wish to be included in future consultations as it was still concerned about the problems of Indo-Chinese refugees. In answer to a French question, Australia thought that a new conference early in the Spring might be appropriate after UNHCR had received comments from Governments on the proposals circulated with letters from Mr Hartling and
Mr Moussalli to some governments on 22 July and 1 August respectively.
5. UNHCR said that they welcomed consultations between resettlement countries but it was ambivalent towards playing an active role in such a specialised consultative group. Nevertheless the High Commissioner's proposals for Indo-Chinese refugees had fortuitously been available for the Honolulu Conference. However these alternative solutions had not progressed as quickly as UNHCR had hoped for.
6.
Australia proposed that officials of the seven Missions present should meet again after Governments had commented on UNHCR's proposals. The United States agreed and said that it would be useful to exchange views on the agenda, timing and level of any further Ministerial meeting along the lines of the Honolulu Conference. There was a need for a continuing dialogue with UNHCR to confirm the practicability of possible solutions. Canada supported the proposal. Consultations should continue in Geneva until such time as the political representatives of Governments had to be involved. The Federal Republic of Germany speaking without instructions agreed that UNHCR should play a central role and that working level meetings of an informal nature in Geneva would determine where the possibilities for the future would lie. Australia undertook to let those present know when a further meeting would take place.
19 October 1983
Distribution:
UK Mission, Geneva
FCO
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SEAD,
(M Seges)
Hong Kong Department, UND
(линоле)
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