"Hardest-working Forum ever. . ."

It was claimed to be the hardest working Forum ever held. The issues were bigger, the press conferences longer, and the phalanxes of delegates, advis ers, observers, strappers, min ders and the press, larger and noisier.

Certainly the 16th South Pacific Forum at Rarotonga de voted an extraordinary amount of time to the heavy regional political matters of creating a nuclear-free zone and of deal ing with the independence of New Caledonia.

The product of all this activity was a 16-page communique, plus a 34-page treaty to establ ish the nuclear-free zone.

On New Caledonia the com munique reaffirmed support for self-determination and an early transition to independence in accordance with the active rights and aspirations of the indigenous people.

It also recognised the rights and sought guarantees for all inhabitants in that multi-racial society.

It condemned the violence which continued to occur and called for all parties to engage in

constructive dialogue which would ensure a peaceful and lasting resolution of New Cale donia’s present problems.

The fact that France has agreed to an early act of self determination was welcomed with the date of a referendum being brought forward to the end of 1987 at the latest.

The French government was urged to undertake electoral reforms before the act of self determination, to ensure the result accurately reflected the wishes of the Kanak people and others with long-term residence in and commitment to New Caledonia.

The Forum welcomed and supported the latest French plan to establish four regions and expressed the strong hope it would be firmly and con sistently pursued to its conclu sion by December 31, 1987.

It called on France to clarify the nature and extent of plans to upgrade military facilities in New Caledonia and stressed the view that France should transfer additional political and administrative powers to the territory to help it prepare for

independence and allow full and active Melanesian par ticipation in the community.

The Forum turned down an F.L.N.K.S. request for observer status on the grounds that its rules did not permit it to admit non-elected groups.

The Forum wants the United Nations to define the status of New Caledonia in order to determine whether it is a colony or a department of France.

It has set up a watchdog group to maintain constant surveillance on political deve lopments and friction in New Caledonia.

An application by French Polynesia to join the Forum was turned down because that terri tory did not yet fill the require ments to be granted observer status.

The text of a nuclear-free zone was endorsed by all Forum nations and signed by eight.

Three draft protocols to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone were adopted which call on metropolitan powers with colonies in the area, and nuc lear powers, to recognise the

zone and adhere to its rules.

It voiced concern at the escalation of the nuclear arms race.

It expressed support for Aus tralia’s initiative at the Review Conference to require the application of full-scope In ternational Atomic Agency safe guards to all nuclear exports to non-nuclear weapons states and noted the initiative was fully consistent with Article 4 of the zone treaty.

Interest was expressed in the continued viability of the Antarctic Treaty system which complemented in an adjacent area their own efforts to establ-

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Host: Sir Thomas Davis

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ish a South Pacific nuclear-free zone.

Total opposition to French testing was again voiced and support given for the early conclusion of a comprehensive test ban treaty which would ban all tests in all environments.

There was strong opposition to nuclear waste dumping in the oceans of the region and the Forum welcomed a statement by the prime minister of Japan, Yasuhiro Nakasone, that Japan had mo intention of dumping radio-active waste in the region.

Forum countries were urged to sign the London Dumping Convention which would then give them a greater say on nuclear and other waste dum ping at sea.

Regular dialogue between the Forum secretariat and the Association of South- east Asian Nations’ secretariat will be maintained: The review of creating a single regional organisation is to be continued and New Zealand proposed an increase in inter parliamentary contact.

Further discussions on regio nal trade will be held in the near future with the aim of trying to iron out problems some nations are experiencing in exporting to Australia under the South Paci fic Area Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement. (SPARTECA).

That discussion will take a look at the possibility of island countries being included in the Closer Economic Relationship agreement between Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand has agreed to extend its Pacific Islands Indust

rial Development Scheme.

The Forum noted with plea sure that the Pacific Forum Line had made very real progress in its development as an econo mically viable service and it endorsed a pre-feasibility study of a proposed extension of the PFL feeder service from Fiji- Tuvalu-Kiribati to Micronesia.

The Forum expressed satis faction that the Forum Fisheries Agency is now fully recognised by the foreign fishing nations and called for the speedy con clusion of a multilateral treaty with the United States.

It looks forward to the early approval of the termination of the trusteeship agreement of the American Pacific Trust Territory in accordance with the expressed wishes of the Micronesian peoples.

It welcomes the decision which allows Palau to become a full member of the Forum Fisheries Agency.

Sincere condolences were expressed to the family, people and government of Palau over the death of its late president, Haruo I.Remeliik.

The Forum noted Australia’s offer to facilitate productive contacts between China and Forum Island Countries which might wish to develop relations with China.

The South Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation (SPEC) was requested to explore the establishment of a dialogue with Japan with a view to obtaining further assistance for smaller island countries in particular.

It unanimously welcomed Fi ji’s offer to host the 17th South Pacific Forum next year at Suva.