> - SPECIAL PRESS RELEASE [24 - 30 OCTOBER 1981| TWENTY-FIRST SOUTH PACIFIC CONFERENCE PORT VILA.

FIRST DAY

Port Vila, Vanuatu, 24 October .1981, The Twenty-First South l'acific Conference was officially opened on Saturday morning, 24 October, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Port Vila. The opening ceremony took place in the presence of His Excellency , President of the Vanuatu Republic, the Right Honourable Tupuola Efi, Prime Minister of Western Samoa, who Is at present In Vanuatu on an official visit, and delegations from all the countries and territories that are members of the South Pacific Conference. The Honourable Walter Llni, Prima Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, gave the opening address following a statement by the Honourable M. Young Vivian, Secretary-Ceneral of the South Pacific Commission.

Mr Vivian, who took the floor first, expressed his deep giatitude to the Government of Vanuatu for hosting this Conference so shortly after attaining independence. He then made a pressing appeal for unity and harmony in the region. Throughout his address he stressed the need for a coaaunal spirit, the spirit now popularly known as "Hie Pacific Way", which Atould permeate all relationships in the Pacific and should alao Inspire the work of this Twenty-First Conference. Under the guidance of this spirit, the Conference, which, the Secret'ary-Genr-ral said, had been evolving over the past decade at a greater rate then ever before, will continue to strive for "the betterment of die lot of our peoples in the Pacific community". Speaking of current developments, Mr Vivian defined the present as "a time when national pride throughout the region has become more dominant than ever before; a time when all countries In the region have recognized the inherent value of our traditional way of life; a time when there is a re-examination of the relevance of western ideologies and practices in the life of our peoples; < • and a time when the region as a whole is critically evaluating the value of the South Pacific Comadsslon to the region".

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The Secretary-General expressed the hope that countries and territories would give the South Pacific Commission the direction, commitment, and resources it needed to cope with the difficult and important Issues facing it.

In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, the Honourable Walter Lini called the Conference "one of the -most Important dates in the calendar of regional events". The growing crises In the worM* today, Mr Lini said, places upon the Pacific "obligations to make every effort to meet with our own resources and with our own collective will the challenges which face our people. If we are to advance...it will princi- pally be achieved by what we are able to do for ourselves in the spirit of mutuality and cooperation. The work of the Commission can be central to such an aim".

The Prime Minister stressed the need for Pacific Island'.nations to maximize their resources in order to "become truly Independent, truly- self-reliant, and develop a strong and stable economic base which will assist us In outriding external pressures and persuasions...What we make will make us. It Is my considered opinion that the Commission's role In such a process can be both Immediate snd dynamic".

For Mr I.lnl, the peoples of the Pacific must establish confidence In themselves and their abilities, wake up, assert themselves. He felt It was unfortunate that "the Pacific remains one of the last regions of the world where the heavy hand of colonialism ccmtinu® to be played".

Ihe Prime Minister highlighted the role of women in Pacific society, a subject which will be extensively discussed by the Twenty-First Conference. Referring to the issue of nuclear activity In the region, Mr Linl stated: "It Is a matter of life and death that the Pacific Ocean be declared a nuclear-free zone. Testing of any kind must be outlawed, as must the duaplng of nuclear waste, the carrying of nuclear devices In submarines or die overflying of alrcrafts carrying them. On tbls crucial Issue", he tmdarllned, "there can be no compromise, no retreat". The formal part of the opening ceremony ended with the Prime Minister's address, and delegations and guests then gathered outside for the official photograph, followed by refreshments and traditional dances performed by a group from Tanna.

Original text: French - SPECIAL PRESS RELEASE I 124 - 30 OCTOBER 198 TWENTY-FIRST SOUTH PACIFIC CONFERENCE PORT VILA, VANUATU

SECOND DAY

Port Vila, Vanuatu, 26 October 1981.. Mr Francis Bugotu, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Solomon Islands, was unanimously appointed by the Twenty-First Conference to be the next Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission. Mr Bugotu will take up his appointment on 1st July 1982 when Hon. M. Young Vivian's term of office expires. Mr Vivian congratulated his successor and wished him every success. On behalf of the Conference, the Chairman, Mr Donald Ralpokas, thanked Mr Vivian for his devoted dedication and application to the South Pacific Commission during hie term. The Solomon Islands Representative thanked the Conference and expressed regret that Mr Bugotu had not been able to attend.

After a few words of welcome by the Chairman to participants who had only Just arrived, this second day of the Conference started with a statement by the Governor of American Samoa, the Hon. Peter T. Coleman.

Governor Coleman declared that he was withdrawing American Samoa's nomination for the post of Secretary-General In the spirit of the Pacific Way, although he did not find it easy to do so. He then defended the links binding his Territory to the , which, he said, in no way consisted of making the former dependents of the latter. As evidence, the Governor mentioned the fact that 75Z of American Samoa's Gross National Product was derived from the work of Its Inhabitants. He wondered whether the notion of independence had any meaning where a country did not have the mesne to provide food, education and health care for everyone. Lastly, Governor Coleman made an appeal for establishing trade relations between Pacific Islands.

The Conference has a new member .country: the Republic of Pslau. Before giving up bis seat to the Republic of Palau. the Representative of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands recalled that the three other entitles which ussd to make up the TTPI: the Federated States of Mleronesls, the Marshall Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands, were admitted as full members of the South Pacific Conference last year in Port Moresby. His Excellency Haruo I. Remeliik, President of the Republic of Palau, extended to the Conference the greetings of his Government and his people, assuring the Conference and the SPC Secretariot of his desire to cooperate with them. Lastly, the United States Representative declared that the admission of these political entities was a step towards the end of trustee- ship by his couhtry.

The Conference then adopted the Report of the Secretary-General on action taken on the Resolutions of the Twentieth South Pacific Conference, held In Port Moresby. The most salient of these resolutions concerned assessed contributions by Participating Government, economic aspects of fisheries development and management, women's role in development in the Pacific Region, the Pacific Islands Regional Development Fund, the Regional Advisory Service, types of stabilisation schemes suitable for South Pacific economies, regional institutional arrangements (Report of the South Pacific Forum/South Pacific Conference Committee), and the Council of Pacific Arts.

Invited to accept the Reports of this year's meetings of the Committee of Representatives of Participating Governments, the Conference did so during the afternoon. Australia had reserved Its position ss regards a recommended 17.5* salary increase for SPC staff, whereupon the had expressed reservations on the proposed 10% Increase in assessed contributions. Finally, the Representative for Australia, after being given more Information, declared that he could fully see the need for this increase. On the other hand, there wae unanimous agreement that the post of Director of Administration be changed to Deputy Director of Programmes.

Participants then turned to the economic theme selected for discussion this year: Development of practical measures to increase self-reliance in the Pacific, with special reference to agriculture, fisheries and renewable energy sources.

An expert in this field, from the Northern Mariana Islands, pointed out that he has been involved in local renewable energy aources long before the 1973 oil crlels, in particular in the recycling of term wastes at village *

level. In the Northern Marianas, demonstration projects are now being implemented on solar, wind and biomass energy. There is also an OTEC project now being considered by the U.S. Department of Energy.

French Polynesia summarised its own research and achievements in solar, biomass and ocean thermal energy, stressing that the working method adopted was to conduct research directly in the field, in other words, that fundamental and applied research was taking place concurrently, and that in such research,•the welfare of the population was of the highest consideration. French Polynesia offered to host a technical meeting on the subject of energy, and the representative indicated that his country would provide all facilities and services for this meeting.

As in previous years, the Chairman then went around the table to allow every country and territory to announce its contribution to the SPC budget for the 1982 financial year. All Participating Governments increased their assessed contributions by 10%. Some of them - Australia, , New Zealand and the United States - in addition stated their intention to fund the Tuna and Blllfish Assessment Programme. Most of the countries and territories which do not make assessed contributions also announced increases in their voluntary contributions.

In presenting the Work Programme, and Budget, as well as achievements and prospects of the South Pacific Commission, the Secretary-General reminded participants that the budget had remained frozen since 1978 and that the purchasing power of the currency in which contributions are made, had steadily decreased. For both these reasons the SPC has been finding it more difficult to meet requests from countries and territories. The 10% increase in assessed contributions will not be sufficient to raise SPC action to its 1978 level, but was nevertheless a mark of confidence and support from Governments. Mr Vivian also expressed the Commission's gratitude for the extra-budgetary grants it receives. He then enumerated and described the Commission's major areas of activity: The Skipjack Programme followed by the Tuns and Blllfish Assessment Programme; environment, demography and migration; nutrition, rural water supply; training In statistical methods and operations; deep sea fisheries development; conmunity education and trsinlng centre; mobile training unit for youth and couninity workers. 4

Conroenting on prospects, the Secretary-General considered that the very top priority was the establishment at SPC Headquarters, of a Pacific Women's Resource Bureau. The Conference approved his Report.

Original Text : French SPECIAL PRESS RELEASE I )24 - 30 OCTOBER 1981| TWENTY-FIRST SOUTH PACIFIC CONFERENCE PORT VILA, VANUATU

THIRD DAY

Port Vila, Vanuatu, 27 October 1981. The Conference adopted the 1982 Work Programme and Budget. Because of the 10% increase in assessed contributions, the SPC has an additional sum of '24[213.400 CFP francs available foe the Work Programme. Tho. Secretary-General submitted a list of thirty-two Items on which this amount could be spent. The reinstatement of some of these items has been recommended by the Planning and Evaluation Cosnlttee in May in cose additional funds became available. Others result directly from recommendations of the Conference, such as the Meeting on euergy and the Pacific Woman's Resource Bureau. The establishment of such a Bureau is one of the seven programme proposals submitted to the Conference by the Seminar of Pacific Woman which was held in Tahiti from 20 to 24 July 1981. The other six proposals presented by Mme Beatrice Vernaudon, a member of this year's French Polynesia delegation, who had actually chaired the Seminar, concerned : -,the SPC Community Education Training Centre - woman and child health and nutrition - a regional health survey - a Pacific pre-school development project a Bocio-economic survey on,women - die 'regional environment. These proposals are accompanied by a number of recommendations for regional and national action. During the discussion several men gave .... ' their seat: areulnd the table for heads of delegations to a woman Of their, teem.' Thus women from American Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Cook . Islands and Nau«;u had the opportunity of describing the situation of women in,'their,countries and expressing their views on the proposals that.came, out; of the.Tahiti Seminar. "While, we are. busy studying the new, we must never forget the old" said Dr Saau Le'au Scanlan fsom American Samoa, "but. in

('., addition", she went on. "women muse take their place with men in,many new flmid4, not a« cotqietitora butaapartners". Mrs Rose'Kikedo, from Papua,j '<'i New Cuine«yexpress«d satisfaction with whet her Government has been doing . 2 for women, for many years already, although recognising that considerable Inequalities existed . Mis Gracc ftollaa of Vanuatu felt that men should be encouraged to take on a greater share o£ the activities that used to be reserved for wonen and vice versa. Miss C. Cave from Cook Islands and Mrs M. Arol from Nauru .also spoke on bohalf of their governments. The Secretariat explained that SPC would seek outside funding for the projects. The Australian delegate announced that Australia would provide A$ 25,000 towards establishing the Women is Resource Bureau. The United States delegate promised to approach his Government for additional funding for the projects if strong endorsement for them was forth- coming from the Conference. The Tuvalu delegate indicated that he would support the consensus of the Conference but expressed his concern at the possible long-term costs to the SPC and member countries to support any new major activities. The Conference finally strongly endorsed tha proposals and recommendations of the Tahiti Seminar and directed the Secretariat to seek the outside Cuiiulug nesjed to isplcssr.t then. The Conference considered the economic aspects of fisheries development and management. The Cook Islands Representative felt that fish were not the only valuable asset to be found in the sea and that exploitation of marine mineral resources must also be envisaged, particularly as ladd mineral, rosources were nesring depletion. Ha./appealed to Island countries to coordinate their policies regarding fishing fleets from outside the Region (Russian, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese). Governor Coleman of American Samoa underlined the importance of fisheries and fish canneries in his country and offered to share with others the experience acquired. Cooperation In this field had already been established with Western Samoa snd the Cook Islands. the coordinator of the SPC Skipjack Survey and Assessment Programs*, and now the Tuba and Blllflsh Assessment Programme, Dr Robert Kearney, underlined the Importance the Commission attached to oceanic fisheries. As ; 98t of the Commission's area is ocean, this is'only natural. The data •• * \ ' > generated by1 the Skipjack Fragrance,-which surveyed skipjack resources In ell countries of.the Region, are becoming more precise as wore and more tagged rish axe baing recaptured. Skipjack populations are estimated at some 3 million tonnes, admittedly- distributed over a huge area. The presehoe'of'such considerable stocks does not, however,, dispel concern about; .the; future, for' overfishing in one area can have a great impact in neighbouring areas, tetohes by puree eelnera,-for Instance, are'Increasing . at a very papid rate and by 1985 up to 90 foreign purse seiners could be operating in the Region, together taking son® 200,000 tonnes per year. Dr Kearney noted the close cooperation existing between the. SPC and the Forum Fisheries Agency. The Director of the latter, Mr P. Muller, said he would like regional cooperation to be increased even further.• He recalled that the Agency was responsible for studying the economic and financial aspects of fisheries, in particular as regards the highly migratory species. He outlined the Agency's manor activities incorporated Into a research and development programme. These includo harsoniaation of fisheries policies arid agreements, surveillance of regional waters, generation and dissemination of information, economic analysis of fishing operations, identification of fishery structures and facilities. Mr Muller estimated the value of catcheB likely to be made by the 50 9einers operating In the Western Pacific in 1981 at 100 million dollars by the end of the year. The Conference approved the Working Paper on the Economic Aspects of Fisheries Development and Management. It then turned to the feasibility study for a Pacific Islands Regional Development Fund. The cost of establishing such a fund gave rise to some reservations, notably from the Representatives of the Unites States, the United Kingdom and Papua New Culnea. The Conference chose to follow a suggestion by the Representative of Western Samoa that the study report be accepted but discussion of it deferred until after the meeting organised by SPEC to be held next year in Niue to consider this matter. The proposed South Pacific Regional Agricultural Stabilisation Scheme led.to extensl e discussions. Two views clashed : that of the Moating of Technioal Experts held in August in Noumea, which considered it , both feasible and desirable and proposed that it be established as soon as practicable, initially covering copra and coconut oil, and the one - expressed by Dr Vernon A. Mund, the Alternate United.States Representative, that an iri-dapth study be iatide on' why the market for copra and coconut oil' ' fluctuates, the' w«y 11 does and what measures can be adopted to improve lte • operation.; The Conference deferred its decision an this matter to a later ''session. ' . ' 1 ' , ' V .It..then adopted the report of the 1961 annual consultations • betwetn the South Pacific Commission, and the South Pacific Bureau for • Icdraoaric Cooperation,, but referred the * question of possible financial 4 i ' • support for the proposed Regional Energy Unit of SPEC to the next Planning and Evaluation Committee Meeting. The United Kingdom.Representative had expressed the opinion that the recent Increase of the Commission's budget had been granted for quite specific purposes and not for new commitments of this kind.

Original Text: French , SPECIAL PRESS RELEASE I 124-30 OCTOBER 1981 TWENTY-MUST SUU IH fACiriU t-UINr fcKfcNCtl P; PORT VILA, VANUATU

FOURTH DAY

Pott Vila, Vanuatu. Wednesday 28 October 1981. The Conference this morning resumed Its discussion of the proposed Regional Agricultural Stabilisation scheme. There was a wide consensus In favour of the scheme, but soma delegations expressed fears regarding possible overlap with National stabilisation measures and the operating costs Involved. The SPC Economist, Dr F. Sevele, felt the proposed scheme to be flexible enough to operate at the regional level and be complementary to national schemes. He recalled that the Meeting of Technical Experts recommended that the stabilisation scheme be established by the Pacific Islands Regional Development Find. He also drew the delegates' attention to the Region's dependence on the world market for copra and coconut oil; only 302 of this market are supplied from the region. Finally the Conference did agree to the formation of the Scheme, subject to all details regarding funding, marketing and operations being finalised and Included In the Chsrter. The progress report on the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme was presented by the Secretary-General. The Co- ordinating Group represents four organisations: SPC, SPEC (Chairman), ESCAP and UNEP with the last-mentioned providing 612 of the funding, SPC providing the secretariat and 18 countries participating actively in the Programme. The Technical Meeting held lost June in Noumea will be followed by a Conference on the Human Environment in the South Pr.ciflc Region. Ibis will have ministerial-level participation and take place in March 1982 In Rarotonga. lit the "discussions on the environmental issues strong concern about the effects of nuclear testing and dumping In the Pacific was voiced. The Representatives of the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Guam and Papua New Guinea asked the Conference to condent all testing and dumping and to declaim'the Pacific a nuclear-free cone. The Representatives of Western and American Samoa agraed to the con damnation but expressed reservation* 2 on the concept of a nuclear-free xone. The six above-mentioned countries drafted and submitted a motion which omitted the idea, of a nuclear-free zone and which was adopted with on amendment suggested by New Zealand. Tne final raading is as follows :

"(1) Appreciating the progress being made in the South Pacific Regional Environment Progranme towards assuring the protection of the environment of the Region as a whole. (2) Realising that the small Island economies of the Pacific, both individually and collectively, are totally dependent upon the fragile island environments for their development and livelihood. (3) Realising that the integrity of the Pacific ' ' environment must be maintained If the people of the Region and particularly the small Island communities are to take maximum advantage provided by that environment. Tliis Conference urges those countries concerned to abandon their proposals tot testing nuclear weapons snd dumping radio- active waste in the Pacific."

It was noted that both France and the United States of America abstained from the resolution. The Twentieth Conference held In Port Moresby had deferred full consideration of the report of the South Pacific Forum/South Pacific Conference Committee to study regional Institutional arrangements until this year's Conference. Delegates therefore dealt with it at some length. The Representative of French Polynesia recalled that this joint count t tee, sat up at the Nineteenth Conference, held in Papeete, had concluded in favour of a merging of the two bodies. The Papua New Guinea Representative felt that the merger should be made without delay; but' this- did not seem' realistic to the. Northern Marianas- Representative who said that It was better not to,mix oil and water but divide responsibility: small village- level projects for SPC; larger-scale projects for SPBC. A major concern ' of Island countries is, In fact, to avoid duplication and also perhaps, for those with very small budgets, to have to contribute to both. This last point, was made by the Representative of Kiribati who described his country as Independent politically but',not financially. * *

The French Polynesia Representative observed that the ball was now back in the Forum's court and that its menfcers, who are also members of the Conference, should press the Forum Cor a clear decision. The subject was raised at this year's Forum Meeting, the Nauru Representative said, and it is sttll under careful scrutiny. According to the American Samoa Representative, the success of any such merger will very much depend on the views of political leaders. The Solomon Islands Representative suggested n Committee to oversee and direct both organisations. The Chairman, Mr D. Kalpokao, finally put an end to the debate stating that the Conference noted the views expressed and would like to see closer cooperation between SPEC and SPC or,even a merging of the two bodies.

Also on the agenda was the Report of the South Pacific Arts Festival Council Meeting. It was adopted after the Cook Islands had questioned the advisability of inviting Hawaii and Easter Island to take part in South Pacific Arts festivals and the United Kingdom had expressed doubts as to the amount of aid that could be expected from UNESCO. The Conference then, in quick succession, approved the papers that had been submitted to it on the Permanent Commission of the South Pacific, the Year of the Paoific, on Observers and Special Representatives to the South Pacific Conference and the Planning and Evaluation Committee, and lastly on the SPC Publications Bureau and the South Pacific Bulletin. Observers wishing to address the Conference were Invited to do so snd the first to respond waa the Representative of the Government of Japan who wished hie country's Pacific neighbours welfare and prosperity, assuring them of Japan's desire to cooperate. He attempted to reassure delegates regarding the immersion of radioactive waste, "900 km south-east of Tokyo". The Representative of the Northern Mariana Islands observed that their, ialands ware really vary close to the area referred to and that contamination could well occur through fish, which were by no means static, the representative of the Federated Stat'aeof Micronesia recalled the very" firm poeition" o£ hie government, which strongly' opposes dumping of nuclear waste anywhere in the Pacific.

Original text: French , SPECIAL PRESS RELEASE |24-30 OCTOBER 19811 TWENTY-FIRST SOUTH PACIFIC CONFERENCE — .K PORT VILA, VANUATU

FIFTH DAY

Port Vila, Vanuatu, Thursday 29 October 1981. Tha Twenty-Socond (1982) South Pacific Conference might be held in Auericoi Samoa which today offered to huBt it. For reasons of economy, the Secretariat had planned to organise the 22nd Conference at its Noumea Headquarters and It will now have to consider, with American Samoa, how to solve the problem of the additional funds required. The Government of thfe Northern Mariana Islands is very keen to host the 1983 Conference. During discussions on thlu subject, the Cook Islands Representative observed that the holding of Conferences outside Headquarters contributed to keeping the Cotmaiscion well integrated Into the Island communities. Participants decided that, whatever the venue, the noxt Conference Chairman would be provided by American Samoa and the Vice-Chairman by the Federated States of Micronesia.

As Is traditional on the last day of the Conference (this year's finished • day earlier than expected) the Observers present were Invited to take the floor if they wished. Two women, one representing the Pacific Islands Advisory Council, the other the YWCA, evated that they had been particularly Interested In tha resolutions on women snd the one dealing with the nuclear issue. Other observers from the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific, the East-West Canter, the Pacific Islands Development Programme, the Commonwealth Secretariat, Japan and the Netherlands outlined possible areas of cooperative action with the South'Pacific Commission. The delegate from Fiji regretted that the Commonwealth Secretariat did not consider the Pacific as a separate entity, but continued to refer to the Asia-Pacific region. 2

The UNDP Representative indicated that 25 nlilion dollars would be node available for tho region between 1982 and 1986. The Represen- tative of the Commission of the European Coonunlties for the Pacific announced that Common Market assistance would be Increased from 100 million dollars between 1976 and 1980, to 120 million dollars for the 1981-1985 period. Representatives of two other Psclflc nations, Peru and Chile, also briefly addressed the Conference.

The President of the Republic of Nauru, His Excellency Homer DeRoburt, and the Representatives of FIJI and Nluc extended warm thanks end congratulations on behalf of the Conference to the Govern- ment and the people of Vanuatu, the Chairman of the Conference, the Honourable , and tho SPC Secretary-General, the Honourable M. Young Vivian.

Fittingly, after adoption of the Conference Report, the last words of the Conference were spoken by Mr Vlvlsn and Mr Kalpokas. Mr Vivian said that as thla was his last confsrence ss Sscretsry-Gensrsl ha vsntsd to thank the Conference participants and thsir countrlss, ths various contributing agencies, and his staff for their help and support over the last three years. In conclusion he thsnksd ths Government of Vanuatu for Its gsnerous and warm hospltsllty In hosting ths Twenty- First South Pacific Conference.

The TVanty-Pltat South Pacific Conference vae thereby closed.

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Origlnsl text: French EN >