TNAG-1313-FCO40-1688-Future-of-Hong-Kong-views-and-involvement-of-Australia--Cana-1984 — Page 93

SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH HIGH COMMISSIONERS,

21 NOVEMBER 1984

SECURITY OF SMALL STATES

ESSENTIAL FACTS

1. At their meeting in New Delhi in November 1983 Commonwealth

Heads of Government requested the Secretary-General to undertake a

study into the Special Needs of Small States, including their national security. HMG strongly supports and has already submitted

a contribution to this study which will be completed in 1985 in time

for the next CHOGM.

2.

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) had

intended to carry out their own study of the Security of Small

States, but this has been postponed indefinitely. On 19 July the

FAC published an FCO memorandum (similar to the paper which has been

contributed to the Commonwealth Secretariat Study) outlining current

Government thinking on this issue.

3. The British Government believe that the key objective of Commonwealth and Western countries should be to encourage preventive measures. These include the maintenance of a diplomatic presence;

increased technical assistance (eg, provision of skilled manpower or

training of security forces); regional cooperation and the pursuit of active information and cultural polices. A joint FCO/MOD paper on the threat and potential remedies is still under consideration.

4. The members of the Commonwealth Study Group appointed by

Mr Ramphal first assembled in London in July. The Group has now

embarked on a series of regional colloquia, the first was held in

New Zealand in August.

Commonwealth Coordination Department

15 November 1984