Ministers express high hopes for rich-poor talks

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 9

Ministers express high hopes for rich-poor talks

NZPA-Reuter Cancun, Mexico Foreign Ministers from 22 countries have completed preparations in the Mexican beach resort of Cancun for the first summit meeting devoted solely to conomic relations between the world’s developed “North” and impoverished “South.” The Ministers from rich and poor countries agreed after a week-end meeting that their leaders would meet in Cancun in October for informal discussions about economic topics of international concern. These were listed as: The reactivation of the world economy, the world food problem, basic commodities, trade and industrialisation, energy, and international financial policies. The co-chairmen of the conference, Jorge Castaneda of Mexico and Willibald Pahr of Austria, told reporters that the October summit meeting would breath new, life into stalled global negotiations on world economic disparities. Mr Castaneda said the poorer countries appreciated an apparent shift in American attitudes towards their problems, particularly since its recent declared approval for global discussions. Mr Pahr said "No concrete decisions can be expected in October and there will be no negotiations. ... That must

be left for the United Nations.”

Diplomats said agreement that the United Nations should be the forum for global negotiations was reflected in the decision to invite the United Nations secretary-general (Dr Kurt Waldheim) to the summit meeting. Among the eight developed countries at the conference were the United States, France, Japan, and Britain, while the poor nations included India, Brazil, China and Tanzania.

Alexander Haig of the United States, which is often accused by critics of showing indifference to Third World problems, summed up the optimistic mood of the weekend. talks.

"I believe all of us recognise that we have an historic opportunity at Cancun in October to make a new beginning in relations among our nations,” he said.

Delegates from developing countries appeared to agree with his view though the Chinese Foreign Minister (Mr Huang Hua) said the creation of a new economic order was a "long-term and arduous task which cannot be fulfilled overnight." Lord Carrington echoed this when he-said: “I fear the expectations of a blueprint for the future may rise too much merely by the very fact that the summit is to be held.”

The summit meeting, promoted by the host country and Austria, was first suggested by an international commission chaired by the former West German Chancellor, Willy Brandt.

The Brandt Commission gave a warning of an everwidening gulf between the industrial north, with fourfifths of the world's income, and the developing south ' which has three-quarters of the population. Summing up the aims of > the North-South dialogue, the > Mexican Foreign Minister; said: "The time has come to ’ launch a major crusade to i eradicate fear and death,. ( hunger, and injustice and to I establish the realm of 1 equality and hope.” 1