TNAG-1996-FCO40-2843-Hong-Kong-Drug-Trafficking-(Recovery-of-Proceeds)-Ordinance--1991 — Page 261

Mr WATT

UND

Reference..

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385/2 Mr Stone

NCD 253/84

144

For acho

pl. (para 5) RM 19/10

WORLD MINISTERIAL SUMMIT TO REDUCE DEMAND FOR DRUGS AND TO COMBAT THE COCAINE THREAT

1. I attach a copy of the draft letter of understanding which the Home Office have negotiated with the UN in Vienna and which establishes the conditions under which the conference will be held "in association with the United Nations". The letter is broadly on the lines of the Summary attached to my earlier

(undated) minute to Mr Gwynn, with which UND have already indicated that they are content. You will also have received a copy of Miss McIntosh's letter of 13 October to Mr Fall on this subject.

2. I should now be grateful for your agreement and, where appropriate, those of copy recipients to the terms of the letter of understanding. The particular points of concern to the FCO

are set out below.

Responsibility for Costs

3. Paragraph 5(a) contains an alternative form of wording covering responsibility for the costs of the conference. UKMis New York had been unhappy with an earlier formulation that UN logistic support would be provided "within existing UN budgets" and had suggested instead "at no cost to the United Nations" (UKMis telno 1216). But the formula proposed by New York is factually incorrect since the UN have agreed to make a number of their permanent staff, including conference and press staff and interpreters, available for the conference, with HMG meeting only the additional costs incurred such as travel, accommodation etc. Moreoever, we would not expect, for example, to fund the cost of attendance at the Conference by the UN Secretary-General. The formula now proposed attempts to get round this difficulty by identifying the costs falling to HMG rather than the costs falling to the UN. I should be grateful for UND's and UKMis New York's confirmation that this is acceptable.

4.

RMD and Finance Department will wish to note that we envisage that any costs falling to the FCO will be met from existing budgets. The Home Office are meeting all the administrative costs except the cost of attendance by FCO officials at the meetings of the steering group responsible for preparations for the Conference. Where meetings are held in Vienna, costs will be paid from Mr Slater's travel budget. The FCO has also agreed to fund the cost of attendance by representatives from certain countries to be selected by the FCO (see para 7). (ODA and Home Office have also agreed to fund the costs of some participants.) Information Department have already agreed to make 15 Category I and 15 Category II sponsored visit places available for the Conference if it had taken place this financial year. I should be grateful for their confirmation that this offer can be carried forward to 1990/91.

ML1AEL

ODE 18-77

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