TNAG-1425-FCO40-1908-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-general-1985 — Page 7

United Kingdom Mission

37-39 rue de Vermont 1211 Geneva 20

Telex 22956

Telegrams Prodrome Geneva Telephone 34 38 00 33 23 85

sent 3-775

4 He also copy to

Ms Walker (HKD)

and

Mr Nash (SEAD)

P Cole Esq

United Nations Department

FCO

Your reference

for

Comments

Our reference

Date

30 April 1985

pleax

Cals

Dear Phil

UNHCR:

1.

INFORMAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EXCOM) MEETING

Rumour has it that UNHCR is planning to call a one-day informal EXCOM meeting on 22 May. This is unusual in that the second of the two annual informal sessions normally takes place at the end of June. A few Western Ambassadors are trying to persuade UNHCR to postpone the May date but it is not yet clear whether UNHCR will agree.

2. The purpose of this letter is to acquaint you with the fact that there will be an informal EXCOM meeting at some stage soon and to ask you, and other recipients of this letter, to let me have points for inclusion in the UK intervention.

3. I would expect the emphasis at the session to be on Africa generally and Sudan particularly but we could take the opportunity to comment on any refugee, matters if we so wished. If there are any financial contributions in the pipe-line I hope we could be made aware of them so that the UK might take the kudos. If, by the time of the meeting, Ministers have taken a decision on a new intake from Hong Kong we would naturally wish to make an appropriate splash. But if not it might be better to keep our heads down on the Hong Kong issue until the main EXCOM in October. Other possible themes which the UK might mention are the anti-piracy programme, RASRO, ICARA II follow- up and the April and May meetings about asylum-seekers. I should be grateful for comments.

STOP PRESS

4. UNHCR are appearing to be flexible. The meeting is now expected to be held on Tuesday 4 June.

CC:

R McDowall Esq, Home Office Mrs J Wyeth, ODA

K Woodhouse Esq, Hong Kong

Youus ever Brian

B D Adams