TNAG-0436-FCO40-501-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-international-organisations-1973 — Page 28

CONFIDENTIAL

(b) to participate in debates in the Committee and

its sub-committees on our Dependent Territories:

(Paragraphs 12-16).

(iv) Farticipation in debates on Rhodesia raises special

difficulties, as we would find ourselves having to disagree with most of what the Committee wanted to do

and unable to provide much of the information which the Committee might require. But we would sacrifice much

of the credit we hope to gain from our new attitude

towards the Committee if we excluded Rhodesia. It is

therefore recommended that we should agree to participate.

(Paragraphs 17-19).

(v) The question of Visiting Missions from the Committee of

(vi)

24 to individual territories presents the other main

difficulty.

Mr Richard recommends that we should adopt

a forthcoming attitude. But we would not want such

It is Missions in some of our Dependent Territories.

recommended that we should maintain the line of the

previous Labour Government, namely that, while HMG have no objection in principle to Visiting Missions, we have a duty as an Administering Fower to decide whether any visit would serve a useful purpose, and that in reaching

this decision the views of the local government would be

a major consideration. We could then demonstrate our greater flexibility by making a specific proposal for a Visiting Mission in 1974 or 1975 (Paragraphs 20-23).

Recommendations are also made on how to handle the

Associated States, Brunei, sovereignty disputes, and

CONFIDENTIAL

New Hebrides