NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
W(B)L 51-7406
5. You will be aware that when we were considering the draft statement here we did not
have the question of representation of the Colony's interests in international organisa-
tions so much in mind as the sort of conten- tious bilateral occasion (e.g. Hong Kong/ Canada) from which the need for explicit guidance has so largely developed. Conse- quently paragraphs 3, 4 and 7 are relevant
more to the conduct of bilateral discussions
multilateral discussions and and negotiations than to the conduct of business in international organisations. the other hand the precepts contained in paragraphs 2, 5-6 and 8-10 are in general
applicable to the conduct of business in international organisations (although a
reservation might in that event have to be entered against paragraph 5(a) ).
On
6. International organisations could, of
course, be easily excluded altogether from the application of the statement by an amendment to the heading which might read "Hong Kong's Bilateral Commercial Relations (excluding Hong Kong/U.K. Trade)"; the proviso which was added to the end of paragraph 4 during our last discussions with you would then refer only to bilateral occasions when Hong Kong might be represented by HMG.
7.
There is a case, we think, for such
exclusion. It would not be easy to formulate
a set of rules for dealing with all the
various situations that may arise in inter-
national organisations. We would need to set
out the position in the somewhat stark terms of
the strict constitutional position - which could lead to difficulties of presentation with
your unofficial advisers - whereas in practice
arrangements can be made to handle many situations in a much more flexible way, e.g.,
in the Cotton Textiles Committee.
87.
On the other hand, as noted in paragraph
5 above, the statement of general principles
contained in the rest of the document **EX (with the exception of paragraph 7) is as
relevant to the conduct of business in inter-
national organisations which affects your
/ interests
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