CONFIDENTIAL
076715
MDHIAN 3802
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WERE INVITED TO A BRIEF COCKTAIL PARTY'' CONSULTATION.
THE MEETING NOW SCHEDULED IN BANGKOK SEPTEMBER 16-17, IS NOT UNDER UNHCR CHAIRMANSHIP, AND DOES NOT CONTEMPLATE FULL PARTICIPATION BY OTHER PARTIES.
GIVEN VIRTUAL ABSENCE OF OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES IN WHAT HAS BECOME
AN INTERNAL ASEAN REFUGEE DIALOGUE, IT IS CLEAR THAT ANY SUCH PREPCON WILL BE SERIOUSLY HAMPERED BY LACK OF ESSENTIAL CONSENSUS
AMONG THE PROSPECTIVE INVITEES.
THE MAJOR RESETTLEMENT/DONOR COUNTRIES HAVE NOT YET BEEN AFFORDED
THE OPPORTUNITY EVEN TO BEGIN A DIALOGUE WITH THE FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES, MUCH LESS CHART A COURSE TOWARD CONSENSUS.
THE WORKING GROUP PROCESS, IN SHORT, HAS NOT EVEN BEGUN TO UNDERTAKE
THE SEARCH FOR CONSENSUS ON SOLUTIONS TO THE REGIONAL REFUGEE
PROBLEM THAT WE BELIEVE ESSENTIAL TO A SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE.
A NOVEMBER PREPCON WOULD, FURTHERMORE, CONFLICT WITH THE MEETING OF THE INFORMAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONSULTATIVE GROUP OF THE MAJOR
RESETTLEMENT/DONOR COUNTRIES SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME PERIOD IN TOKYO.
THE U.S. PROPOSES THAT THE ASEAN AND DONOR/RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES
AGREE TO AT LEAST TWO MORE WORKING-LEVEL SUBSTANTIVE MEETINGS, CHAIRED BY UNHCR, ONE TO BE HELD IN OCTOBER AND THE OTHER IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER. DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME OF THE OCTOBER MEETING, WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE CHARACTERIZATION THAT THE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER MEETING (WHICH COULD BE HELD IN KUALA LUMPUR)
WOULD CONSIDER AS A MAIN AGENDA ITEM THE CONVENING OF A PREPCON IN EARLY 1989.
WILSON
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