Cartographic credentials

Press, 20 February 1980, Page 29

Cartographic credentials

PA Wellington Diplomats and United Nations staff met over the week-end to sort out a credentials wrangle at the United Nations Cartographic Conference in Wellington, j When the second plenary 7 session of the conference met on Monday’ the issue had been resolved.

The executive secretary of the conference, Mr C. Christopher — the man believed to be at the centre of the negotiations — said, “It went well. The credentials report was carried by acclamation." Information staff said that the Russian delegation which it was believed might have challenged the Chinesebacked democratic Kampuchea delegation, was not seated at the time of the credentials report. Two Saudi Arabian and one Libyan delegate who did not have proper credentials were accorded observer status which gave them the right to speak but not vote. The Kampuchean delegate, Kahy Chhiek Bun Kim, left the room immediately after the credentials matter was settled.

Commenting on the clearance from the conference, he said: “This is just a technical conference, so we are very happy." His government is fighting j a guerrilla war against the j | Vietnamese-backed government which controls all the towns. New Zealand continues to recognise his government, which recently moved its leader, Pol Pot, to the position of Army Com-’ mander-in-chief. The chairman of the cartographic conference is the New Zealand Surveyor-’ General (Mr 1. Stirling). He also chaired the credentials committee. Asked whether he had been briefed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff before the meeting, Mr Stirling would only say that he had done his homework very’ carefully. It is believed that Foreign Affairs has worked closely with the Lands and Survey Department in organising the conference. New Zealand’s permanent representative at the United Nations in New York helped in the preparations and two Foreign Affairs staff are attending the conference.