U.N. association seeks peace

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33819, 16 April 1975, Page 20

U.N. association seeks peace

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. The United Nations Association of New Zealand wants peace, in South Vietnam and in Parliament Buildings.

The association’s annual | conference in Wellington at' the week-end passed a reso-l lution calling for the fight-; ing ■ in South Vietnam to stop, for political prisoners; to be released, and for allforeign troops to be with-I drawn except as provided; under the Paris peace agree-! ment. Closer to home, the asso-i ciation agreed to ask the Government to set up in Parliament a “room of i quiet” which would be open; to ail people devoted to; peace. The retiring president of, the association (Mr J. Bel-! ich) said that the room would be modelled after the! 1 meditation room at U.N.; headquarters in New York. | “The room would not be affiliated with any religious; organisation or religion,” he said. “It would be a place for Parliamentarians, staff,,' or anyone who has access to j Parliament Buildings to go| to think reflect, and meditate.” The conference alsoir amended a remit calling for c the Government to abolish j| the Official Secrets Act and the Security Intelligence Ser- c vice. Conference delegates n urged that the Official t Secrets Act be revised in T terms of the U.N.’s Univer-h sal Declaration of Human t Rights, and that the regu-;t lations governing the Secur-;n ity Intelligence Service be Is

; changed to conform to the! I declaration. j An aligned remit called!. Tor the Government to es-jj ; tablish a bill of rights, ini' ; conformity with the U.N.!' 'declaration. i; The association also , ; called for the Government to amend the Police Offences Act. 1954, to permit doctors 1 to prescribe contraceptives i to persons under 16. The association will ap-j* peal, through its 21 af-i’ I filiated organisations and ;their branches overseas, fori. ; countries to curtail nuclear!) weapons proliferation and to I direct a specific percentage; of their defence budgets to j development aid. ! ( The conference elected;; Miss G. Ryan, of Wellington,! c |as its president.