Trusteeship Areas Study

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 15

Trusteeship Areas Study

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) NEW YORK, June 17, Conditions in the last remaining territories of the United Nations trusteeship system will come under scrutiny at a session of the Trusteeship council beginning on June 27.

A foretaste of what the meetings might bring was given when the council held a brief business meeting last month. , , The Soviet delegate launched an immediate attack on the presence of military bases in the territories in the Pacific, claiming that they were being used in connexion with the war in Vietnam.

The terrorities are those of New Guinea and Nauru—administered by Australia—and the trust territory of the Pacific islands under United States administration. The eight-nation council wilt receive annual reports on conditions in political, social, educational and other fields from the administering powers. An important item on this year’s agenda will be a report by the World Health Organisation on health services in the Pacific islands. Its findings were that the standard was below what the admininstration had set itself and said there had been justification for complaint However, much progress had been achieved, the report said.

Five-year Plan The United States will tell the council of plans for a fiveyear, 172-million-dollar development programme for the 90,000 micronesian inhabitants of the widely scattered islands. The Administration is asking Congress to approve the scheme, which will include 3Om dollars to be spent onTtnproving health facilities. The perennial problem for

the 4500 people of Nauru is dwindling phosphate resources.

Russia is expected to renew its criticism of overexploitation by foreign concerns of the phosphate, Nauru’s principal source of income.

Also before the council wilt be resolutions, approved by the last session of the General Assembly, calling on the administering power to set an early date for independence for both Nauru and New Guinea. The latter is administered jointly with Papua. The council, which will meet under the presidency of Mr Francis Brown, of Britain, will also have to decide on the composition of visiting missions to the territories

next year. The sessions traditionally last about four or five weeks. Members of the council are Australia, Britain, Nationalist China, France, Liberia, New Zealand, the Soviet Union and the United States. Liberia is the sole elected member. Britain and New Zealand are jointly responsible with Australia for Nauru, although Australia carries out the actual administration. Nationalist China, France and Russia take their places as permanent members of the Security Council. The council reports to the assembly in the cases of Nauru and New Guinea, and to the council for the Pacific islands, which is termed a "strategic” territory.