289. Letter From Under Secretary Richardson to Under Secretary of the Interior (Train)1 2
Dear Russ:
Thank you for your letter of November 17. I would like to reassure you that we are giving the fullest support to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment scheduled to be held in Stockholm in 1972. The attitude of our Government was reflected in President Nixon’s address to the 24th UN General Assembly on September 18, 1969. The President then pledged our “strongest support” for the Conference. We have instructed our delegation to give the most vigorous support to this UN initiative, and a favorable resolution was recently approved unanimously by the Second UNGA Committee considering this matter.
As concerns the Conference budget, I understand that at the 47th Session of the ECOSOC held in Geneva last summer some 26 representatives agreed that the estimated budget for the Conference should be cut back. Both the ECOSOC resolution and the resolution approved by the Second UNGA Committee request the Secretary General of the UN “to make all efforts to reduce the costs of the Conference.”
I can assure you that we will continue to support the UN Conference on the Human Environment. We intend to participate vigorously in the Preparatory Committee which is now being formed.
With warm regard,
Sincerely,
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, SCI 61-3. No classification marking. Drafted by Guy Ferri (IO/OES), cleared by Thomas Kellermann (SCI), and redrafted by Melvin Levitsky on December 8.↩
- Richardson assured Train that the Department of State was giving the UN Conference on the Human Environment, slated for Stockholm, Sweden, its fullest support.↩