N Wenban-Smith Esq
United Nations Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Downing Street
London SW1
192
41
182
21 November 1973
Dear Benban Smith
have recently received through your office a copy of the United Nations Secretary General's request to the United Kingdom Government to nominate our representative for the Third Special Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Richard Hand and I have discussed this and agreed that there is no particular urgency in replying to the United Nations but I would like to raise with you at this stage the question of the involvement of a Hong Kong official at the meeting.
As you know, Kr Rolph, Commissioner of Narcotics in Hong Kong, suggested in one of the papers that he circulated last year about means of attacking the Hong Kong drug problem that Hong Kong interests should be directly represented at all international meetings on drugs (I paraphrase his suggestion slightly). When I was in Hong Kong last month, he raised the question with me again and it was clear that he is expecting to be invited by us to attend the Narcotics Commission. Personally I have no objection to this and indeed I see substantial advantage in his being present since he can advise on the Far Eastern situation which he knows well, and since the United Kingdom's acceptance of his presence is a positive indication of our involvement and interest in Hong Kong's attempts to solve its drug problems, y only hesitation arises from the likely presence of the People's Republic of China as observers at the Commission meeting. I would suggest that to avoid creating an unnecessary political embarrassment we might consider nominating rolph as an adviser (rather than as an alternate) and that, as some sort of compensation for his not being able to take part actively in the debates, we invite him to attend for the whole session. When I was in Hong Kong I took the precaution of indicating to him tactfully that the issue of his presence at Geneva was not simplified by the likely attendance of the People's Republic of China and he has taken the point. I told him that I shall be consulting you about the matter.
I should be grateful if you could consider this question in the Foreign and Common- wealth Office (and I am sending a copy of this letter to Andrew Stuart to facilitate this consideration) and let me have your decision as soon as it is reasonably convenient since before long I shall have to undertake consultation within the Home Office on the question of a representative from this office to support me at the Commission meeting.
Yours sincerely
C J TRAIN
Page 75Page 76
C.S. 11F
2600087
1,000-4/65-B47955
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.