FUTURE OF NEW GUINEA

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28429, 8 November 1957, Page 13

FUTURE OF NEW GUINEA

Joint Statement Of Principles

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) | (Rec. 8 p.m.) CANBERRA. Nov. 6.|

The Australian and Netherlands Governments today issued a joint statement of principles on the future of New Guinea.

This is a forerunner to discussions scheduled at Canberra tomorrow between the Netherlands Overseas Minister. Mr G. P. Holders, and the Australian Government. The statement released in Canberra said the principles are:— I

(1) The Netherlands and Australian Governments base their policies with regard to the territories of New Guinea, for which they are responsible, on the in-' tercsts and inalienable rights of the inhabitants in conformity with the provisions and spirit of the United Nations Charter. <2> The territories of Nether-' lands New Guinea, and the Aus-' tralian Trust Territory of New Guinea and Papua, are geographically and cthnologically related. and the future development of their respective populations must benefit from collaboration in policy and administration. <3) The Australian and Nether-j lands Governments are therefore 1 pursuing and will continue to pursue policies directed towards the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the' peoples in these territories, in a, manner which recognises this ethnological and geographical affinity. (4) At the same time, the two governments will continue to strengthen the co-operation at present existing between their respective administrations in the territory. i (5) In so doing, the two govern-! ments are determined to promote an uninterrupted development of this process, until such time as the| inhabitants of the territories con-| corned will be in a position to determine their own future. 1