A recommendation that portions of a special $200,000, 000 United Nations Fund for rehabilitation of Palestine Arab refugees be channeled to some of the Arab states for “general economic development programs” was made to the General Assembly here today by the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
The commission consists of representatives of nine nations, four of them Arab League states. The idea of siphoning part of the fund into the coffers of the Arab Governments themselves was based on the assumption that local development programs to be financed with this money would help Arab refugees to become self-supporting.
The commission also proposed that the life of UNRWA be extended for five years and recommended that the director, Henry R. Labouisse, be empowered to continue to negotiate with the “host” countries on the possibility of transferring to them ultimate administration of refugee relief.
The commission asserted that no progress has been noted to date in obtaining “repatriation and compensation” for the refugees. It said there was no change “in the negative attitude of the Israeli Government towards the question of repatriation” or “toward the settlement of the compensation issue. “
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