Twenty-fifth Session

New Faces, New Enthusiasm, At South Pacific Commission's Twenty-fifth Session

Technical difficulties prevented Western Samoa taking its place at the 25th session of the South Pacific Commission as the first independent Polynesian state to become a full SPC member.

rHE session was held in Noumea in October.

Only a month or two earlier every >ody had expected that Samoa was :ertain to be admitted to membership )y October. Western Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Mataafa had ar ranged to be in Noumea for the pig occasion of Samoa’s first at endance.

The conference chairman, the Western Pacific High Commissioner, sir David Trench, told the session hat progress towards “the desirable md” of admitting Samoa had been nade and he hoped the remaining formalities would be swiftly com pleted. Meanwhile he welcomed Western Samoa’s observer, Lauofo Meti, and told him that everything would be done at the session to re duce to a minimum the disabilities :aused by “the present transitional situation”.

Although she had no vote, Western Samoa later took an active part in discussions.

"Will Be Admitted Soon"

Nobody expects that it will be very long before Samoa is finally ad mitted. There is no disagreement about her admission —the delay is due to the fact that the SPC’s charter has to be altered to admit Western Samoa and some member countries want the future pattern of the session to be agreed on firmly now, and other necessary changes made to the charter while it is open.

General agreement on the new direction that the SPC will take was made at a conference between the five member governments in London in July ( PIM Aug., Sept.). But the London proposals have to be ratified and this is a complicated matter when five governments are involved.

The other main proposals include reorganisation of the Research Council and the institution of an other body called the Regional Council. The Regional Council will be composed of delegates elected by Islands legislatures, which means a

big proportion of delegates would be indigenous people.

The proposals also suggest a new formula of financial contributions to the SPC, which would give every body, particularly the US, a bigger percentage of contributions follow ing the withdrawal of the Nether lands.

Financial Formula The formula was taken into ac count at the Noumea session, which approved an increased budget for the year—of £250,000. But this is con ditional on the US being permitted by Congress to raise its grant.

The Noumea session was a suc cessful and enthusiastic one, depite the fact that the London proposals had not yet taken effect. Feeling seemed to be that the SPC was on the threshold of bigger things, but was, anyhow, finally making progress as a real driving force in the Pacific.

Many of the old faces were gone at this session—being replaced by new men taking part for the first time. Among the new faces were those of Oren E. Long, of Hawaii, replacing Dean Knowles A. Ryerson, the retired Senior US Commissioner, and Mr. R. S. Swift, replacing Mr.

Dudley McCarthy, former Senior Australian Commissioner, now in New York. Other old hands who were gone were the former Secretary-

General, Mr. T. R. Smith, and Mr.

C. G. McKay, of New Zealand.

Among the many new faces in the teams of alternate commissioners or advisers were Mr. William Estall, a member of the Executive Committee of the Cook Islands Legislative Assembly, and Ra t u Edward Cakobau, of Fiji.

The Commission made a practical examination of the work programme.

Among other things the Commis sion this year will continue to sup port the investigation going on in French Polynesia for a simple and inexpensive means of supplying drinkable water through solar stills; will try to organise production of textbook on nutrition; inquire about establishing a training centre on reef and lagoon fishing; continue the two boat-building courses and possibly promote a third one in Polynesia; plan for a second training course in home economics in Suva in 1965, and plan a training course (in Suva in 1964) on the practice of community education methods.

An SPC community education training centre just opened in Suva is part of the development of a permanent com munity training centre in the South Seas.

The current course is on home economics.

Here at the official opening are Fiji's Director of Education, Mr. J. G. Rodgers, Miss Marjorie Stewart, PC women's interests officer, and Dr. Richard Seddon, SPC executive officer for social development.

Photo: Stan Whippy