TNAG-0889-FCO40-1099-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 37

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Mr Murray

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

се по валозді

A Sison Ober

mo Sammel

UND

FED

m Bayne FRD

M

demons SEAD

INDO CHINESE REFUGEES: UK.CONTRIBUTION TO UNHCR FUNDS

1. As you know, the Prime Minister has proposed to the United Nations Secretary-General, Dr Waldheim, that he should call urgently a major international conference to consider the Indo Chinese refugee crisis. In this context it is important that our own level of contributions to the UNHCR budget is suffic- iently respectable to enable us to take the lead in pressing others to increase their contributions. The UNHCR's activitie

m macheren HRCD in South East Asia are financed from his general programme,

and it is with our contribution to that that I am primarily

concerned. It is however probable that the UNHCR will launch a separate appeal for Indo-Chinese refugees, apart from the one made recently by the UN Secretary-General to heads of Government, perhaps as part of the build up to the Conference which the Prime Minister has proposed.

2. I understand that the pledge we made last year to the UNHCR general programme budget for 1979, of £3.5 million, was designed to maintain our contribution at a level of about 8.5% of the UNHCR's budget. Since then the UNHCR has been compelled to revise his budget estimates upwards to US$ 115 million, and I understand that a further UK contribution of £1.25 million would be required to maintain the percentage which we originally intended. I should be most grateful if you could give urgent consideration to approving such a further contri- bution as soon as possible. As you know, the need for more

HCR activities financial help for UN matehing is urgent, particularly given the increased flow of refugees from Vietnam.

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Dd 0532000 800M 5/78 HMSO Bracknell