ANNER A
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
Jus.
From:
305/01
Mrs JD Wyeth
Date: 24 July 1986
CC:
T Trevan UND FCO Miss D Walker UKMIS Geneva
Geographical Desks in ODA and FCO as in Distribution List
37TH EXCOM GENEVA 6-16 OCTOBER 1986
When UNHCR holds its annual formal meeting of its executive committee in October it will once again be presenting to members details of its past and current activities and forthcoming assistance activities included in the 1987 budget.
2.
Discussion of this document, which includes all country programmes will be taken under item 2 in the plenary session. In the past discussion has centred mainly on one or two controversial issues eg Morocco and Algeria usually argue about refugees in Tindouf and there are also squables between Iran and Iraq and Ethiopia and Somalia.
3. Regrettably this particular document, which is in the form of a book, does not arrive in time for us to extract, cirulate and commission contributions to briefing. To enable us to give due consideration to individual country programmes I understand that this year UNHCR intend to forward individual country programmes as and when they are ready; this may help but I suspect they will still not arrive in time. Since the majority of programmes will be continuing I have decided to circulate last year's document to ODA and FCO geographical desks. A copy of the relevant extract for your territory is attached. Some of these programmes may fall away in 1987 and there will be some additions eg some of the 1985 and 1986 emergency programmes should now be included in 1987 general programmes. Clearly we do need to form an independent view from that of UNHCR on these activities and are looking to ODA and FCO geographical desks for guidance. Tim Trevan in UND (FCO) has suggested that dip wing geographical desks might wish to consult overseas posts. I should be grateful if this could be arranged.
The kind of points which we would like to cover in the briefing are:
(1) Nature of Refugees
What type of refugees are involved? Are they
i. Mandatory ie those who have a well founded fear of persecution
should they return to their country of origin (the 1951 UN convention relating to the status of refugees and the 1967 Protocol)?
ii. Displaced as a result of "external aggression occupation and
foreign domination or events seriously disturbing public order (the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Appeals of Refugee Problems in Africa extension of the definition of refugee)?
iii. Displaced as a result of drought, desertification or other natural
disaster?
iv.
V.
Economic ie those who seek economic gain or escape from general economic policies such as communism of villagisation?
Partefa small or mass influx of refugees over a short or long period?
CONFIDENTIAL