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"The UNHCR has re-affirmed its commitment to repay the debt through various exchanges, such as in its annual Letters of Intent and in a letter issued in September this year to the UK Mission in Geneva.
"The UNHCR has repeatedly appealed to the international community for funds for its programmes in Hong Kong, for example, at the fifth and sixth Steering Committees of the International Conference on Indo-Chinese Refugees held respectively in February last year and March this year.
"In its 1993 accounts, the UNHCR had, at the request of the Hong Kong Government, included a footnote on the debt. This signifies the UNHCR's acceptance of the existence of the debt.
"Since 1992-93, the UNHCR has made reference to the debt in its annual reports to its governing body, the UNHCR Executive Committee. Such reports, after endorsement by the Executive Committee, are presented to the UN General Assembly. The whole international community is therefore aware of the debt.
"Despite a declining VM population, the amount of repayment by the UNHCR as a proportion to the care and maintenance costs has registered a steady increase
every year.
"We believe that the advances remain recoverable and there is therefore no reason why the advance account arrangement should not continue.
"The Government will continue to remind the UNHCR, whenever the opportunity arose, to repay the outstanding amount as soon as possible."
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