TNAG-0894-FCO40-1104-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 25

CONFIDENTIAL

2.

+

US$ 7.2 million, the third highest after the USA (US$ 12.5 million)

and Japan US$ 11.5 million. The EEC gave a separate contribution of US$ 8.1 million to the General Programme. About 22% of the

original General Programme Budget was seen as being devoted to these

costs; this has now risen to over 54% of the revised budget of

US$ 151.3 million. Most of the countries shown as larger donors to

South East Asian Special Programmes (Australia, Denmark, FRG, Japan

and Norway) have in the past been less generous in contributions

the General Programme.

to

7. UNHCR finances continuing programmes from his General Programme

(ie. Regular) Budget and new expenditure from Special Programmes for

which he issues special appeals. At Geneva we shall be dealing with

the funding of an increase in the Regular Budget, into which the Indo-

China expenditure has now been absorbed. Within the way in which

UNHCR operates it is not in our interests formally to earmark for Indo-

China.

8. In 1978 we paid 5.6% (£1 million) of the Regular Budget, and

contributed about 10% (£5 million) to the total of various special

budgets.

9. For 1979 the Regular Budget was first fixed at $88 million and we

pledged £3.5 million (8%). Because of various claims, primarily

Vietnam and Southern Africa, $151 million is now needed for the Regular

Budget as a whole, an increase of $63 million. On the (generous)

8% basis our share of the extra would be $5 million, say, £2.25

million, which we can round up to £2.5 million.

10.

Of the total of $151 million this year $82 million is attributable

to the Indo-China refugee problem.

11.

can

Further calls, whether under the Regular Budget or Special

Programmes, are only too likely, eg. in connection with the establish-

ment of island processing centres. The balance of the £5 million

be brought into play as these needs develop. It is desirable if

conditions permit that some of the payments should be phased into

the next UK financial year.

12. Under old but reaffirmed rulings of the Public Accounts Committee

and Treasury an additional contribution to UNICR requires specific

approval by way of Supplementary Estimate:

or Question and Answer does not suffice.

a Parliamentary Statement

CONFIDENTIAL

Hong Kong