CONFIDENTIAL
United Kingdom Mission
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NCR Williams Esq
United Nations Department
FCO
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Dear Nigel,
US REFUGEE POLICY
1.
7 NO. 51
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Date 13 December 1982
1) CC: Mr Ivey NEWAD
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Thank you for your letter UNS 243/8 of 3 December about 2) pa
Ambassador Douglas and his call on Mr Onslow on 22 November.
2. We also know Ambassador Douglas, who figured prominently at this year's UNHCR EXCOM in October. He was also here on a familiar- isation trip earlier in the year and Peter Marshall went to see him in Washington in November, prior to the Third Committee discussion of the refugee item. At EXCOM he put refugee matters firmly in a political context. He went so far, indeed, in his speech to the EXCOM in attacking countries which generate refugee flows that the Lebanese Ambassador, as Chairman, called him to order, delighted at the opportunity to set a precedent to discourage his Arab colleagues from attacking Israel on similar lines. Douglas promised to give him a gavel to commemorate the occasion. But it has not so far arrived.
3. We were interested in Douglas's rather drastic remarks about UNRWA and look forward to seeing Michael Wilmshurst's comments on them. My letter of 30 November to Jeremy Greenstock in NENAD (not to Vienna: now copied there) records concern in humanitarian circles in Geneva over the inability of UNRWA to protect the people they assst.
4. Douglas's criticism of UNHCR administration is probably too stern. Compared to many UN agencies UNHCR has a rather good record. We believe that the AMS report which is now keenly awaited also criticises the headquarters staff as too large. It is encouraging that Douglas particularly mentioned Homann-Herimberg. It would be splendid if, now that Hartling is back in, largely through American influence, the Americans did some thing to get Homann-Herimberg fired. We believe that Douglas's remarks about lack of commitment among UNHCR staff are largely nonsense. We also think his criticism of the Secretary-General for doing nothing about the Canadian and German initiatives excessive. It is hard to see what he could usefully do.
5. We were interested to see that the Japanese are contributing large sums of money for training facilities in the Philippines for Indo-Chinese refugees in return for American agreement to take their residue of ship rescues. I wonder if this will be the way out for Hong Kong?
16.
CONFIDENTIAT
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