TNAG-0975-FCO40-1194-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-other--1980 — Page 42

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we may slip from that position.

About 150,000 refugees enjoy

asylum in the UK and we are committed to accepting further refugees from Indo-China, mostly from Hong Kong (paragraphs 16-18).

5

Inter-agency

Will UNHCR be able to adapt quickly enough to cope with the continuing increase in refugees? Its independent status should be retained, but internal reforms are needed. At ECOSOC this summer

the US called for greater co-ordination between the agencies and a resolution requesting a report from the Secretary-General on humanitarian emergency assistance was adopted. relations also need improving. The OECD is considering whether it should involve itself. Refugees are a human rights question. Human Rights Commission has passed a resolution on mass exodus which has implications for Cuba and Afghanistan. New co-ordination machinery in New York might create more problems than it would solve. It could lead to undesirable politicisation. The informal arrangements existing in Geneva need to be used to best effect (paragraphs 19-25).

The

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