TNAG-1800-FCO40-2560-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-principle-of-first-asylum-1988 — Page 241

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'UK report on 32

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Session of UNHCR Executive Committee

9 -

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12-21 October 1987

29. The French Ambassador pointed out that the concept of "donor" countries was out of date. Governments shared the refugee burden in different ways. "Recipient" countries met great costs in coping with massive influxes. The Finnish representative pointed out that differing budgetary practices made it difficult to make money available precisely when needed. He suggested that UNHCR could limit shortfalls by matching expenditure to the pace at which contributions came in.

30.

The Director of Administration highlighted the joint report by the High Commissioner and the Secretary General (Document A/AC.96/598) on the sharing of administrative expenditure between the UNHCR and the UN budgets. The French and Canadian delegations supported this point, and called for support for the High Commissioner when the question came up in the General Assembly. The Executive Committee hoped that the matter could be satisfactorily resolved and endorsed the Sub-Committee's recommendation that the document should be put to the ACABQ.

Any Other Business (Item 9)

;

31. Experience this year made it clear that the Executive Committee itself could with advantage adjust its work in the light of the existence of the new Sub-Committee on Administrative and Financial Matters. The Chairman suggested that there were four "building blocks" in the Executive Committee's work: the General Debate; Protection; Assistance; and Administrative and Financial Matters. The agenda should be built on this basis, and annotated (as had been the agenda of the Sub-Committee this year) to bring out in more detail the papers submitted under each of · these items, and their inter-relationships.

32.

Meeting of the Sub-Committee on Protection, 8 -9 October 1981

The Sub-Committee on Protection met under the outgoing Chairman, Ambassador Birido of Sudan. The discussions centred

on temporary refuge, family reunification and the rescue of asylum-seekers at sea. On temporary refuge it was agreed to adopt the conclusions reached by the Group of Experts who met in April 1981. Family reunification was strongly supported:

/delegates

some