312. Memorandum of Conversation1
SUBJECT
- Courtesy Visit by Ambassador Felix Schnyder, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
PARTICIPANTS
- Under Secretary for Economic Affairs—George W. Ball
- Ambassador Felix Schnyder
- Miss Arlene Cohn, Representative of the High Commissioner in the U.S.
- Deputy Assistant Secretary Richard N. Gardner
- Otis E. Mulliken, IO:OES
Ambassador Schnyder expressed appreciation for the assistance that the United States had rendered to the activities of his Office. He indicated that he thought there might well be a shift in the traditional activities of his Office, which had previously been concerned primarily with European refugee problems, to a concern with non-European refugees, as for example those in Cambodia. He indicated that, as a first principle of operating policy, he thought there should be a definite terminal date for all projects carried out by his Office, such as closing refugee camps. He described his views on increasing international cooperation over refugees, such as the increasing willingness of countries of first asylum to accept refugees.
In his general presentation, Ambassador Schnyder referred to the activities of his Office relating to Algerian refugees and, in response to questions by Mr. Ball, gave a brief description of the scope and character of these activities.
Ambassador Schnyder made no requests for any policy decisions or policy guidance and no commitments of any kind were made to him.
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1960–63, 324.8411/4–1361. Unclassified. Drafted by Mulliken and approved in the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs on April 20.↩