TNAG-1542-FCO40-2106-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 77

CONFIDENTIAL

Ref No DIS 305/01

37TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

SUD COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MATTERS : ITEM

3(b)

LITEM PLENARY SESSION

Briet 5 (c)

Report on the Status of Contributions towards Voluntary Funds (A/AC 96/682)

UK Aims

i.

To support the objectives of UNHCR but to ensure that the budget requirements are limited to essential programme needs.

Line to Take

ii. We appreciate the financial restrictions posed on the 1985 and 1986 General Programmes as a result of the African Emergency. Therefore encouraged by the revised financial requirement for the 1986 general programme which has decreased by US $24 million to $306.9 following a mid-year programme review. [This still represents an increase of 8.9% over actual expenditure on general programmes in 1985 (US $282 million). But this presumably reflects a shift from Special Programmes (arising from the Africa emergency) to General Programmes].

iii. a.

Pleased to see that the 1987 general programme budget of $339 is only 2.7% up on the 1986 approved target figure of $330.4 million, although it is 10.4% above the revised 1986 figure of $306.9 million.

b.

Could UNHCR clarify what proportion of the 10.4% increase is due to inflation and what is due to an expansion of the programme.

C. We would welcome an early indication of the size of the 1987 Special Programmes.

[DEFENSIVE]

iv. UK has continuously and generously supported both UNHCR General and Special Programmes (see attached Annex for details of 1986 contributions to date). We were fourth highest donor in 1985 to UNHCR general and special programmes (2nd highest among EC countries).

V. We also support British Voluntary agencies who play a distinct and important part in refugee relief. Their role was acknowledged at ICARA II when the UK pledged £5 million additional funds to their refugee related infrastructure projects.

vi. Hard decisions have had to be made concerning UK Government's public expenditure. Overseas Aid progamme has had to bear share of economies. UK Government's response is influenced by fact that multilateral aid can only be provided at the expense of bilateral.

vii. No decision has yet been reached on the level of our contribution to the 1987 General Programme. We shall make our intentions known as soon as possible and we hope to be able to make this pledge at the UN General Assembly in November.

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CONFIDENTIAL