CONFIDENTIAL
BRIEF FOR THE UK DELEGATION TO THE 29TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR): 9-17 OCTOBER 1978
UK aims
1.
Her Majesty's Government are always concerned about the problems facing refugees throughout the world and regard the Office of the High Commissioner as a very good example of the way in which an international humanitarian organisation should function. Our main concern, therefore, is that the Office should continue to operate effectively within its mandate and that the High Commissioner should continue to undertake special operations within his "good offices". The notion of "good offices" relates (as Mr Hartling has described it) to diplomacy and the rôle of "intermediary of goodwill" which the High Commissioner is sometimes called upon to play. These "good offices" are useful for contingencies and situations on the fringe of the normal activities of his Office.
2.
Although we give the Office our support, we should not hesitate to criticise constructively either its proposals or its management. Our policies and criticisms arise from a study of the problems fac- ing refugees and such counter proposals as we make are in our view in the interests of the refugees. We consider it vital for refugees to become integrated into the community in which they find themselves and that they should not be regarded by host countries as permanent lodgers to whom host Governments have no responsibility.
We accept, however, that the international community has a responsibility to play a part in those cases, which are unfortunately becoming all too frequent, where a particular country is a recipient of a massive influx of refugees. But on grounds of cost and avoidance of duplication, we would oppose any tendency of the High Commissioner to involve himself in elaborate development programmes (except in those cases where he has been nominated Co-ordinator of relief- assistance: this would, necessarily, involve him to some extent in plans to implement some basic infrastructure projects which may be regarded as developmental) which would more properly fall within the terms of reference of other United Nations bodies.
Points to make
3.
The items on the provisional agenda (A/AC.96/551) on which we have points to make are:
Item 1: Election of officers
We would,
The delegation may speak and vote at their discretion. however, expect the delegation to join in any reasonable con- sensus which emerges on the election of officers. The meeting last year had a Norwegian Chairman; a Dutch Chairman in 1976 and a Nigerian in 1975.
CONFIDENTIAL
/Item 2:
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