E.C.A.F.E. talks begin

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32587, 22 April 1971, Page 13

E.C.A.F.E. talks begin

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) MANILA, April 21. The first day of the

twenty-seventh session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East ended with a call from its members to bridge the gap between rich and poor countries.

President Marcos of the Philippines, in an inaugural address, asked the Asian nations to fight “the poverty forces which widen the gap between rich and poor countries, with only a remote prospect that the pernicious gap will close in the foreseeable future.” The United Nations Sec-retary-General (U Thant) said in a message that both developed and developing countries should strive for greater regional and global partnership to narrow the gap between rich and poor countries.

Later, the delegates discussed the economic and social situation in the E.C.A.F.E. region, including growth-rates in the last fout years, and development strategy.

About 400 delegates from 31 member-countries are attending 10-day meeting. E.C.A.F.E.’s executive secretary (U Nyen) said that total economic performance

during the first development decade of the organisation had been a success, although the rise in per capita income in most countries had been less impressive. N2. OFFER The New Zealand Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) told the conference that co-opera-tion, by way of expert assistance in any field in which New Zealand expertise could i be of use, was gladly offered. I Although there had been great strides in industrialisation in the region, he said, the outstanding developments were the breakthrough in agriculture and the move to provide an expanded infrastructure of transport and communications.

In spite of this, howevet, more than half the total population of the developing E.C.A.F.E. region did not have the amount of food needed to live a healthy, active life.

The conference agreed to consider an application for membership from the Pacific Island State of Tonga, who had applied through the New Zealand Government. TONGA TALKS

In Nuku’alofa today, opening the sixth annual conference of the Pacific Islands Producers* Association, King Taufa’ahau said that in spite of mineral finds and expectations of oil and gas, it would be folly for Pacific Island ter-

ritories to under-emphasise the role of agriculture. He added that any capital gains were valuable to Pacific Islands when used to develop agriculture. In reply to the King’s address, the association’s retiring president, the Fijian Prime Minister (Ratu Sir Kamasese Mara) said that there was no history of starvation in the Pacific because people lived on a subsistence economy by striking balance with their environment.

In changing times, there was an urgent need to progress beyond this point, he said. The great problem the P.I.P.A. had to solve was to teach the people of the Pacific to become efficient producers through better management, research and marketing.