Lord Caccia, Gcmg, Gcvo

Date01 May 1991
DOI10.1177/004711789101000306
Published date01 May 1991
AuthorM.M. Sibthorp
Subject MatterArticles
277
LORD
CACCIA,
GCMG,
GCVO
An
Appreciation
Harold
Caccia’s
much
lamented
death
on
31
October
1990,
which
saddened
all
those
who
had
worked
with
or
under
him,
has
been
followed
by
a
widespread
appreciation
not
only
of
his
gifts
but
of
the
extent
and
width
of
his
diplomatic
experience.
I
shall,
therefore,
confine
my
tribute
to
the
work
which
he
did
for
many
years
for
the
David
Davies
Memorial
Institute
of International
Studies.
In
1966
the
David
Davies
Memorial
Institute
published
the
report
of
a
study
group,
with
Sir
Humphrey
Waldock
as
chairman,
on
the
legal
aspects
of
the
peaceful
settlement
of
international
disputes.
The
report
was
well
received
and
aroused
wide
interest
and
it
was
considered
that
a
companion
study
of
the
political
and
economic
aspects
of
such
disputes
would
also
be
valuable.
Harold
was
asked
to
be
co-chairman
of
the
study,
with
Lord
Inchyra,
and
he
was
able
to
draw
on
his
considerable
knowledge
of
international
affairs
and
of
the
formulation
and
execution
of
the
policy
to
help
steer
the
eminent
study
group
which
gave
help
and
advice
to
the
two
authors
of the
report,
Professor
Fred
Northedge
and
Dr
Michael
Donelan.
Having
recently
retired
as
head
of
the
Diplomatic
Service,
and
having
spent
five
years
as
British
Ambassador
to
the
United
States
from
1956-61,
he
was
also
instrumental
in
enlisting
help
with
the
study
from
the
Foreign
and
Commonwealth
Office
and
from
many
eminent
academics,
diplomats
and
foreign
policy
experts
in
the
United
States.
The
study
was
a
great
success
as
witnessed
by
the
fact
that
twenty
years
later
it
is
still
selling.
In
1969
he
joined
the
Executive
Committee
of
the
Institute.
As
he
put
it
much
later
he
’felt
that
it
could
do
useful
work
within
its
powers’
in
the
fields
it
had
chosen
for
study.
As
with
all
his
activities
he
was
an
excellent
judge
of
what
might
be
achieved
by
forward-looking
examination
of
current
problems,
while
keeping
his
feet
firmly
on
the
ground.
Being
an
immensely
practical
man,
with
a
wealth
of
experience
of
foreign
affairs,
his
advice
was
always
valuable
in
formulating
the
Institute’s
programme
of
studies.
In
1974
the
Institute
set
up
a
Study
Group
on
Alternative
Sources
of
Energy
of
which
he
agreed
to
be
a
member,
and
again
his
international
experience
and
contacts
proved
helpful,
especially
in
securing
help
with
the
project
undertaken
by
Dr
Nigel
Lucas
on
Energy
Decision-Making
in
France,
for
which
Harold
wrote
the
Foreword.
When
the
Chairman
of
the
Institute,
Lord
Thomson,
resigned
in
1978,
Harold
agreed
to
take
on
the
Chairmanship
for
a
three-year
period.
He
was
a
splendid
Chairman,
always
ready
to
help
if
called
on
and
he
took
an
active
interest
in
all
the
affairs
of
the
Institute.
From
1979-80
he
chaired
the
Helsinki
Review
Group
which
was
set
up
under
the
Institute’s
auspices
to
review
the
compliance
of
the
signatory
states
with
the
Helsinki
Final
Act.
He
also
managed
to
persuade
H.R.H.
The
Duke
of
Edinburgh
to
accept
the
Presi-
dency
of
the
Institute
from
1979-83.
In
addition,
he
was
particularly
helpful
with
the
Institute’s
financial
affairs.
He
was
an
active
member
of
the
Finance

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