Commission
p. 18 · Read in the full issue
South Pacific
USA Ratifies-First Meeting in 1948
IN the last week of January the United States Congress ratified the South Pacific international agreement. This occurred exactly one year after the agreement was made at the conference in Canberra.
Representatives of the six nations with colonial and territorial interests in the South Pacific met in Canberra on Janu ary 28 last year and, after several days in conference, agreed to the establish ment of a South Pacific Commission to act as “a consultative and advisory bodv to the participating Governments in matters affecting the economic and social development of the. non-self-governing territories within the scope of the com mission and the welfare and advance ment of their peoples.”
Great Britain, Australia and New Zea land accepted the terms of the agree ment last year; the United States has followed suit; and all that is now re quired is the concurrence of the French and Netherlands Governments for the commission to be called into being.
Acceptance by the government of the Netherlands is expected at any time. But there has been nothing lately to show that France is likelv to take further action the French Parliament has been rather deeply preoccupied with domestic affairs.
The next meeting of delegates will be the first full meeting of the Commission after ratification probatalv about the middle of 1948 and it will be held in Australia probably Sydney. One of the first decisions to be taken there will be the selection of a home for the Com mission the present headauarters, at the School of ‘ Pacific Administration, Georges Heights, Sydney, is only a tem porary arrangement. Two or three places have been considered. Suva seems to be favourite: but Port Moresby, strongly supported by the Anzac section, is second favourite.
Although Mr. John Kerr has resigned the position of Principal of the School of Pacific Administration, he will retain office as Organising Secretary of the South Pacific Commission, at least until the Commission has held its first regu lar meeting.