South Pacific

Commission

Commission s Seventh Session Opens Next Month At Noumea

Headquarters: Anse Vata, Noumea, New Caledonia

THE Seventh Session of the South Pacific Commission will open at headquarters, in Noumea, on April 28. It is expected to last about 12 days.

Each of the six member Governments will be represented by two Commissioners or alternates, and such advisers as each Government considers necessary.

Prominent in the provisional agenda is the first progress report on the 42 resolutions of the first South Pacific Conference, held in Suva, in April, 1950, when 41 native representatives from 16 Pacific Territories were brought together for the first time in history.

“Grants-in-Aid” for 1951 The work programme of the South Pacific Commission for 1951 includes the continuation of investigations, and some new projects in each of the fields of health, economic development and social development.

The cost of each project, which varies considerably according to the extent of the research work involved and the ex pert personnel needed, is either borne wholly by the Commission or by a Gov ernment or scientific institution, with financial aid from the Commission.

It sometimes happens that member

Governments or their Territorial ad ministrations undertake similar projects pn their own behalf. Where these are of interest to other Territories, the Com mission may offer assistance in the form of expert advice, provision of equipment or funds. Specific sums allocated to such purposes are known as “grants-in-aid.”

The largest single grant-in-aid appear ing in the Commission’s 1951 budget is a contribution of £2,900, made to the Government of Fiji towards the further development of a Central Introduction Garden already established at Suva.

A further grant of £5OO has been made to assist approved projects for improving tropical pasture and stock. A similar amount will be available for assisting member Governments to assemble in formation for the Commission on the result of land utilisation surveys.

In all, eight such grants-in-aid, total ling £7,100, are provided in this year’s budget.

Visitors’ Days at Headquarters There were two “Visitors’ Days” in February at the Commission’s head quarters in Noumea. The first, on the 6th, was for members of the public of Noumea, to celebrate the fourth anniver sary of the founding of the Commission at Canberra in 1947. The second was for passengers of the luxury cruiser Caronia, which called at Noumea on February 19.

On both occasions parties of visitors were escorted over the Pentagon build ing, and briefly told of the Commission’s aims and activities.