§ 1. Major Beamishasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the result of the meeting of the Advisory Committee to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; and what action is contemplated in the light of this report.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Anthony Nutting)All the members of the Advisory Committee expressed the view that it would be necessary to continue the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for a further term of years. There were, however, divergent views regarding the length of this extension and the precise scope of the High Commissioner's functions. These questions, which have important implications for the coordination of international refugee activities, will be discussed by the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly at their next sessions.
§ Major BeamishIs my hon. Friend aware that while most people will agree that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is performing a very 1666 valuable function, many feel that he has neither the mandate nor the resources to deal with the refugee problems in all their aspects? Can my hon. Friend say whether, before many more weeks pass, he will be able to make an announcement about the tidying up of the whole affair, not least in the light of the statement by M. van Zeeland at the Council of Europe last week?
§ Mr. NuttingAs my hon. and gallant Friend knows, the High Commissioner for Refugees was never intended to deal with all aspects of the refugee problem. His functions are considerably and very specifically limited to the protection of the legal rights of refugees. As to any further action, it is not for Her Majesty's Government to decide or to make any unilateral statement in the matter but for the General Assembly of the United Nations to approve or otherwise or to amend in some way the recommendation which has been made by the Advisory Committee.