TNAG-1273-FCO40-1623-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 147

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HKCO. ANNEX D

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UNHCR INFORMAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING 23 FEBRUARY 1983

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STATEMENT BY UK REPRESENTATIVE STR PETER MARSHALL

- 9 MAR 1983

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We are grateful to the High Cómmíssicher for calling this meeting and for his opening statement.

The United Kingdom strongly supports the High Commissioner and his office. We are very glad that the High Commissioner's mandate has been extended unchanged for five years. We are also pleased to note that the work of the Executive Committee will

continue on its present basis. We also congratulate the High Commissioner on his reappointment.

My delegation believes that these results have been achieved in part perhaps in considerable part because of the close relationship which has been established between UNHCR and its Executive Committee. It will be no less important in the future

to ensure that this close relationship be maintained.

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We strongly support the High Commissioner's emphasis, at the start of his statement this morning, on the need to look and plan ahead and to be ready to deal with what he called the "unknown and unexpected". I was glad of the High Commissioner's reference to the speech made by Ambassador Kharma at the recent San Remo Seminar. Those of us who know Ambassador Kharma and his

interest in the subject will not be surprised by the depth of thought contained in his speech. It deserves close attention and study.

May I now make a few detailed comments on points which were raised by the High Commissioner this morning.

The AMS Report

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My delegation was grateful for the meeting which was arranged on February 17 to discuss with the High Commissioner the recommendations which the AMS have produced. This is indeed the sort of function which was envisaged in operative paragraphs 5 and 6 of General Assembly Resolution 37/196. It is important that the Executive Committee knows what is in the High Commissioner's mind and what he proposes to do with the recommendations from the AMS.

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