- 11
refugees and immigrants themselves
the UNHCR office in Vietnam
——
owe a debt of gratitude to
to the tireless and capable
efforts of the UNHCR Representative, Mr. Charles-Henry Bazoche,
exxparater rotnamese and his staff both in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. I observed them at work during my visit to Vietnam last July and I can testify to their outstanding work.
Critical to the progress which the ODP has experienced in the
Outstanding past year has been the efforts of the Vietnamese officials with
whom we work in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
some of whom are
with us today as members of the Vietnamese delegation.
We
appreciate their efforts to improve and expand the program for the results which their efforts have brought.
and
On behalf of the United States, I would like to reaffirm my government's strong commitment to the UNHCR Orderly Departure
Program. The role of ODP to serve as a humane and viable
alternative to the perils of clandestine departure from Vietnam by boat is more crucial today than ever before. And so it is
especially important that all parties involved --the UNHCR, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the receiving countries present at this consultative meeting our commitment to the ODP
--
insuring that many more Vietnamese in the coming months will be
permitted to leave Vietnam in an orderly and safe way.