Office of the Historian

82. Memorandum From Henry Nau of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark)1

Washington, January 15, 1982

SUBJECT

  • Global Negotiations (GNs)

Ambassador Kirkpatrick has sent a memorandum to the President on the issue of Global Negotiations (Tab A).2 She is responding to an earlier memo Haig sent the President on the same issue (Tab II).3 Neither memo was discussed with any other agency. Coordination on this controversial issue is simply not taking place.

State sought to develop the initiative which Haig mentions in his memo (a U.S.-sponsored Global Conference on Growth in lieu of Global Negotiations), but the other agencies objected fearing State would assume agreement and then run with the initiative on its own. Kirkpatrick also objects and recommends that we do nothing for the time being. This satisfies neither the State Department desire to be cooperative on this issue, particularly with our European allies, nor the President’s desire to avoid being drawn into a massive UN exercise which has little domestic support or understanding.

Three times since Cancun, Allen and then Nance recommended to Meese the creation of an NSC-chaired coordinating group (Tab III).4 No action was taken. I have consulted once again with staff at the Assistant Secretary level in State, Treasury, USUN and USTR. All agree that an informal NSC-chaired group to monitor this issue and identify differences on a possible U.S. initiative would be helpful. Kirkpatrick was consulted directly by her staff member and agreed. State officials did not consult Haig.

I recommend that you consult Haig on this matter and seek his agreement to an informal group.5 Its informal character would not challenge State’s formal coordinating responsibilities. Alternatively, [Page 228] you may wish to encourage Haig to have State coordinate this issue more vigorously.

Meanwhile, I have drafted a memo from you to the President forwarding the Kirkpatrick memo and informing him of what you are doing.6

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1.
That you sign the memo at Tab I to the President.7
2.
That you consult with Haig.8

and decide whether to

____ create an informal NSC-chaired monitoring group (if so, I will immediately draft a follow-up memo)

____ encourage Haig to have State coordinate this issue more aggressively.9

  1. Source: Reagan Library, National Security Affairs, Office of the Assistant to the President Files, Chron File, [Case file unavailable]; NLR–812–64–5–1–3. Confidential. Sent for action. An unknown hand placed a checkmark and circled it at the top of the memorandum. Lenz initialed the memorandum.↩
  2. Tab A is not attached, but is printed as Document 81.↩
  3. Tab II is not attached, but is printed as Document 80.↩
  4. Tab III is not attached.↩
  5. Clark underlined “informal group” and placed a line in the right-hand margin next to this paragraph.↩
  6. Tab I, an undated memorandum from Clark to the President, is not attached. An unknown hand wrote: “continued” with an arrow under the paragraph.↩
  7. Clark did not indicate approval or disapproval of this recommendation.↩
  8. Clark checked the “Approve” option.↩
  9. Clark did not indicate approval or disapproval of either recommendation.↩