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made for their proper treatment on return.
These questions were
recently discussed with Vietnamese representatives in London.
My Lords, we are actively engaged in efforts to resolve regional
conflicts around the world. We are conscious however of other
threats to international security which directly affect many more
countries. Threats such as terrorism, drugs and AIDS.
- We have taken, or supported anti-terrorism initiatives in the EC, UN
and ICAO. As EC Presidency we initiated a new Community programme
against drugs and in the UN we are closely involved in drafting a
new Convention against trafficking. We are encouraging support for UN efforts to combat AIDS, and organised jointly with the WHO a meeting of World Ministers of Health in London in January to
increase international awareness of the disease.
The
Here, the UK
- These are problems that no one country can tackle in islation.
problems of the world economy are equally intractable. co-operatives in the Group of Seven through the regular leadership summits, where the seniority of my rt hon friend the Prime Minister gives us a particularly authoritative voice.
The Toronto meeting in June endorsed policies of economic liberalisation and deregulation which the UK's example has seen making gains all over the world. Moreover, the summit endorsed the initiative of my rt hon friend the Chancellor on debt relief for
Africa.
This initiative was only one aspect of our involvement in the common
effort of the industrialised countries to assist the developing world. We have, for example cancelled the aid debt of the 22
poorest countries at a cost of nearly £1bn. We are contributing to
the IMF Structural Adjustment Facility to provide new cheap lending
to the poorest. And we maintain a substantial and growing overseas
aid programme.
Mr Lords, the challenge our policy faces in the modern age is to
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