Regional, social and economic issues

economic issues at SP conference

Delegates from 26 countries and territories attended the 21st South Pacific Conference in Port-Vila, the Vanuatu capital, in October. Here's a summary of the major decisions and developments from the talks:

New Secretary-General Appointed

Mr Francis Bugotu, a roving ambassador for Solomon Islands since independence there in 1978, was appointed as the incoming Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission.

He will take office in the middle of next year. The conference paid tribute to the retiring Secretary-General, Mr Young Vivian, and spoke of his long dedication to the SPC and to Pacific regional affairs.

Budget Increased By 10 Percent

The budget of the South Pacific Commission was increased by 10 percent, which will be paid for by the assessed and voluntary contributions of the member countries. All the participating governments agreed to the increase, which is the first for two years. In addition Australia, France, USA and New Zealand promised new funds for the SPC tuna and billfish fisheries assessment programme. Despite the budget increase the effective spending power is unchanged because of the effects of inflation. The total budget is SUS3.S million of which about 33 percent is funded by Australia and about 93 percent is funded by the total payments of Australia, New Zealand, Britain, France and USA.

Regional Technical Seminar

Plans were confirmed to hold a regional technical seminar in 1982 to examine renewable energy resources available to Pacific communities. The seminar will be hosted by French Polynesia and will be included in the South Pacific Commission budget.

The conference endorsed the development of practical measures to increase self-reliance in the Pacific with special reference to

agriculture, fisheries and renewable energy sources. It received technical reports on achievements already made in recycling farm waste, solar energy, wind energy, ocean thermal energy and biomass energy.

Women’S Resource Bureau Planned

The role of women in Pacific communities was extensively discussed, and the conference endorsed a report from the seminar of South Pacific women held in French Polynesia in July (PIM Sept p2O and Nov p 9). The report recommends setting up a women’s resource bureau in Noumea, designed to train and prepare women for wider roles in community and national affairs. It also recommends changes to the existing SPC Community Education and Training Centre in Fiji, and recommends a series of surveys on which to base a wider role and better lifestyle for women. Australia announced a grant of $25 000 towards the proposed resource bureau in Noumea, and an offer to help upgrade the training centre in Fiji. The conference endorsed the Australian offer and decided to seek external funding for financing other recommendations in the women’s seminar report.

Nuclear Tests And Dumping

The conference called on ‘those countries concerned’ to end the testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific and to abandon proposals for dumping nuclear waste in the Pacific. The reference was to France and Japan, although neither of the countries was named in the resolution. France and USA abstained from voting. The resolution was put to the conference by Vanuatu during a general discussion on environmental issues, and it included a plea to recognise the ‘fragile environment’ on which Island countries depended for their economy and their existence.

Stabilisation Proposal Endorsed

Tentative agreement was reached at the conference to proceed with plans for a regional stabilisation scheme to protect incomes from agricultural exports, although some SPC countries already have stabilisation schemes of their own. Papua New Guinea, which is one of the countries with an extensive structure of stabilisation schemes, expressed reservations regarding the costs likely to be incurred by a regional scheme. USA and Britain said they recognised the importance of the proposals but would be

mable to make financial contributions because of existing :ommitments.

>Alau Admitted To Spc

Phe Republic of Palau (known as Belau in its own language) was idmitted and welcomed to full participation in the South Pacific Conference community, thus ending the participation of the Jnited States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Palau •ecarne a republic earlier in the year. The three other states vithin the trust territory the Federated States of Micronesia, he Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands are Iready members of the conference community. The trusteeship > still in force, but USA told the conference that the admission f the separate trust states to the conference community was nother major step towards its termination.

00 Many Organisations Says Png

Representatives at the conference revived the long-standing ebate over regional institutions in the Pacific, including the ontentious question of whether the work of the South Pacific ommission and the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Coo peration (SPEC) would be better handled by a single rganisation. In a strongly-worded statement to the conference, apua New Guinea claimed that money was being wasted on an xcess of regional organisations and that a single organisation tould be introduced in 1982 or as soon as possible thereafter, he conference deferred any immediate decision, but will revive s discussions following a planned meeting of officials which PEC is organising and following a review by the South Pacific orum, the political alliance of Pacific nations. Because not all PC countries are members of SPEC the conference commended that non-members of SPEC should be permitted > make written submissions to the planned meeting of officials

Acific Arts Festival

he four-yearly South Pacific Festival of Arts and the SPC ionsored council which organises it are to have new names in :eping with the widening regional area involved. The festival ill now be known as the Pacific Arts Festival and the council the Pacific Arts Council. The changes come into effect Mowing the adoption of reports and recommendations from the uncil. Other decisions which arose from the report are that the uncil will widen its activities to include cultural exhibitions in

addition to the four-yearly festival, and that consideration will be given later t 0 the estab,ishment of an association of Oceania museums. An approach will be made to the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for a grant of $2OO 000 towards each Pacific Arts Festival. During the conference debate Britain expressed reservations towards approaching UNESCO because of effects on the total UNESCO budget. The next Pacific Arts Festival the fourth will be in 1984.

Pacific Advisory Service

The conference accepted a report from the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation in Britain on tentative proposals to establish a Pacific regional advisory service. The report was well received ’ although no formal recommendations arose from the conference. Under the proposals, which came from a survey of Commonwealth Pacific Island countries a secretariat would be established to share expertise and skills among Island administrations so that knowledge held by any one country could be pooled for the benefit of the region,

Regional Development Fund

A report was accepted on proposals to establish a Pacific Islands regional development fund which would mobilise and make available additional funds to support national projects of regional value and to encourage ecLomic inter'acfion in the region ' The report was the result °f a surve y commissioned by ‘he South Pacific Commission and the South Pacific Bureau for EConomiC Co -o perati °" USA a " d Britain the conferenc that alth ° Ugh they acce P ted the value of the Proposals their making further recommendations,

Next Year’S Conference

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