Commonwealth achievements in Lusaka
By
COLIN LEGUM
in Lusaka
The news that the Soviet Union had been given permission to import 10 million tonnes more of American wheat by September, 1980, had as much impact on world grain market prices in Chicago as a slap with a wet lettuce.
The announcement came as no surprise at all. Chicago prices have long since moved up in anticipation of the Russians’ having to buy considerable extra quantities of grain.
It became obvious some months ago that because of bad weather the Soviet Union was going to have a bad crop this year, especially when compared with its record grain harvest of 237 million tonnes last year. The United States Department of Agriculture, which has a good record of predicting Soviet harvests aided by the use of sophisticated satellite “spy” techniques, last month estimated the Soviet crop at a lowly 185 million tonnes. Simple arithmetic made it plain that a steep rise in imports would be required unless there was to be a drastic cutback in the Soviet livestock herds and, thereby, the country’s standard of living.
The rise in livestock numbers to fulfil the growing demand for meat in the Soviet Union means that the Russians are faced with an increase in grain consumption that they simply cannot meet from domestic production. Although there is plenty of grain available in the world
the amount that the Soviet Union can import is limited by the quantity that can be physically handled and, of course, the enormous cost involved in buying large tonnages. It is estimated that the maximum amount that can be handled by the Soviet ports is 30 million tonnes a year — and this may be somewhat optimistic. Although the Russians revealed this month they had concluded a large wheat deal with Canada; the bulk of purchases must come from rhe United States, by far the world’s biggest grain exporter, especially of maize. The two other major grain exporting countries, Australia and Canada, are both facing shipping problems. Although the market reaction to the Soviet grain imports rise was subdued, this was only because it had already been discounted. Russia’s need to import grain on this scale is, of course, vitally important. For a start the massive grain purchases by the Soviet Union, and China, have transformed the world grain picture, from heavy surpluses to reasonable balance of. supply and demand. The main beneficiary is the United States, which, as the world’s major grain exporter, was faced with a build-up of huge costly surpluses. The rise in grain prices that has already taken place is a very welcome shot in the arm for American farmers, the ancillary industries
attached to agriculture and the Administration which has a commitment to support farmers that could have been extremely expensive. Instead the United States will earn a considerable amount more from its important agricultural exports — one of the mainstays of the economy. The Commonwealth Conference in Lusaka this month was an outstanding success. While most attention was given to the unani-. mity achieved for the new British initiative on Zimbabwe Rhodesia, a great deal else was also achieved. There is no other world forum where 40 widely disparate leaders could have reached consensus over such a wide rang: of vital international issues. Indeed, there w"s only one item in the 80paragraph final communique which was not unanimously agreed — and that was over the question of whether the P.L.O. should be regarded as the only legitimate spokesman for the Palestinians.
There was, though, full agreement on the need for an independent Palestinian homeland as part of a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East. Nobody tried to argue that the Camp David accords should be condemned.
By far the most important decisions were taken on the problems of South-East Asia. The even-handed final resolution condemned all acts of armed intervention in the region — Vietnamese in Cambodia as well as Chinese in
Vietnam — and criticised the role of outside powers in exacerbating the problems. The adoption of a Commonwealth declaration on racism and racial prejudice, while focusing on apartheid, speaks out forthrightly on one of the major evils of our time.
More practical was the unanimous agreement to establish a human rights commission for the Commonwealth which, once the fi al details have been approved, will make it possible to criticise the practices of member countries when they fail to measure up to the standards set by this unique multi-racial community. Significant decisions were taken on economic issues relating to the problems of both the developed and developing nations, going far beyond anything so far achieved in the continuing North-South dialogue.
For a hardline anti-Com-munist leader such as Singapore’s Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, to find common ground with Prime Ministers such as Mr Forbes Burnham, of Guyana, Mr Michael Mariey, of Jamaica, and President Julius Nyerere, of Tanzania, demonstrates the possibility of looking at world problems in a co-operative manner within the tolerant rules of the Commonwealth.
Particularly gratifying was the absence of any division on major questions between the old, white Commonwealth and the newer countries of the Commonwealth. The leadership role of a conservative like
Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser of Australia was a major factor in bridging the views between these two parts of this community of nations. It should be a matter of pride for Britain that its genius has given to the world this remarkable family. One can only regret the sourness with which many voices in Britain still choose to treat this phenomenon.
How the French, the Americans or the Russians would crow if they could stage, every two years, an , event bringing together the spokesmen for a quarter of the world’s population. It is fortunate that the Commonwealth is able to survive and even grow, in spite of the Scorn poured on it by the little Englanders. 0.F.N.5., copyright.
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Press, 22 August 1979, Page 16
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979Commonwealth achievements in Lusaka Press, 22 August 1979, Page 16
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