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4. I should be grateful if you could provide briefing on how Britain should approach the negotiation of Communiqué language on your topics. I attach a suggested standard format (Annex A). Guidance will be needed, in particular,
on:
(a) whether, in a full Communiqué, we should support a
specific reference on the topic concerned, or suggest it, if it looks like being omitted;
(b) if so, what amendment, if any, the Kuala Lumpur
text requires and why (please provide both opening and fall-back language);
(c) what non-Commonwealth texts are relevant, or likely to form the basis of the other Delegtions' approach (UNGA, NAM, G7, EC etc). The Delegation will need full copies of such texts, as well as any extracts you wish to incorporate in the briefing itself;
(d) which Delegations you expect to be particularly
active/interested in the topic, and therefore possibly worth preliminary lobbying by telegram or in Harare;
Both action and copy addressees should advise what new subjects we should wish to see included, or should be prepared to cover, and provide briefing in the same format.
5. I should also be grateful if geographical Departments, when looking at the language on regional issues, could indicate what extremely short reference (phrase or sentence) on their topics might feature in compendium paragraphs like that prepared (and tabled) in 1989 (Annex D).
6. I appreciate that this is both an unusual and a complicated request, but the 1989 collection of negotiating material although in a variety of formats, proved its worth and was much appreciated by the then PUS and Mr Lankester. It is in your Department's interest to make your response as comprehensive (not the same as voluminous) as possible: the alternative will be to be prepared to field flash calls for additional advice over possibly inadequate
telecommunications links from Harare over the weekend of 19/20 October.
UN4AAW
/PRENEGOTIATION
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1.