NATIVE WELFARE

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 February 1947, Page 6

NATIVE WELFARE

COMMISSION FOR SOUTH PACIFIC NEW ZEALAND’S PAET CANBERRA, February 7. Thp delegates of the six Governments, at the final plenary session of the South Seas Conference, signed the agreement establishing the South Pacific Commission which will promote the economic and social welfare of natives in the non-self-governing ierritories administered by the participating Governments in the South Pacifi c. The agreement provides that at least two delegates to the Commission’s conference will be appointed from each territory. The delegates will be selected in a manner ensuring the greatest possible measure of representation of the local inhabitants Local inhabitants will be appointed to the secretariat if their technical qualifications and personal integrity are suitable. Australia, which controls more than half of the inhabitants of the region, will pay 30 per cent, of the expenses of the Commission and its auxiliary and subsidiary bodies. New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom will each pay 15 per cent., and France and the United States each 121- per cent. The Commission will be a consultative and advisory body to the participating Governments. . The conference approved an initial vote of £50,000 for working expenses. The agreement emphasises that the Commission will have no organic connection with the United Nations but will co-operate with that organisation.

The conference will meet again within two years and at least once in three years after that. The Commission may meet when and where it chooses, providing it holds two regular sessions yearly; The setting up of a research council has been approved. The conference adopted a resolution expressing the hope that the Kingdom of Tonga would co-operate in appropriate activities of the Commission.