Office of the Historian

112. Minutes of a Senior Interdepartmental Group–International Economic Policy Meeting1

Washington, May 13, 1983, 3 p.m.

ATTENDEES: (U)

  • Treasury

    • Secretary Regan
    • Marc Leland

  • Office of Vice President

    • G. Philip Hughes

  • State

    • W. Allen Wallis
    • Elinor Constable
    • Martin Bailey

  • Defense

    • Fred C. Ikle

  • Agriculture

    • Secretary Block
    • Richard Lyng

  • Commerce

    • Albert Kingon
    • Michael Liikala

  • CIA

    • Henry Rowen
    • Maurice Ernst

  • OMB

    • David Stockman

  • USTR

    • William Brock
    • Robert Lighthizer
    • Harvey Bale

  • AID

    • Peter McPherson
    • John Bolton

  • CEA

    • William Niskanen

  • OPD

    • Edwin L. Harper
    • Les Denend

  • NSC

    • Norman Bailey, Executive Secretary
    • Roger Robinson
    • William Martin

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to UNCTAD.]

UNCTAD Strategy (U)

The Chairman then asked Under Secretary Wallis to review the proposed U.S. strategy for UNCTAD VI.2 The Under Secretary noted that the U.S. position would be based on the President’s 1981 speeches at Cancun and Philadelphia. The greatest threat to U.S. interests would be a move toward more commodity agreements. The Chairman noted that we would want to avoid interference with the work of existing institutions such as the World Bank and IMF. AID Director McPherson said that this would offer a good opportunity to describe the very positive U.S. approach to aid, including the fact that our bilateral assistance [Page 293] program is larger than ever. Others noted that this may afford an opportunity to join with LDCs in protest over EC agricultural subsidies. After a brief discussion, the SIG–IEP gave its approval to the strategy as outlined in the documents presented to the SIG. The Chairman noted that it might be useful to consider this topic again after the Williamsburg Summit and before the UNCTAD meeting. (C)

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to UNCTAD.]

  1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Subject File, SIG–IEP (Senior Interdepartmental Group–International Economic Policy) (March 1983–April 1983); NLR–753–96–3–10–2. Confidential. The meeting took place in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. No drafting information appears on the minutes.↩
  2. A copy of the proposed “U.S. Strategy for UNCTAD VI” is in the Reagan Library, Roger Robinson Files, Subject File, SIG–IEP Meetings 04/28/1983–05/12/1983.↩