FOR MEDIA 6 MAY 1979
ELECTORATE TALK
This week I will be leaving for a brief visit to the
Philippines, where the 5th Session of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development is beginning.
I was pleased to accept the long-standing invitation from
President MarTcos to visit his couintry.
Australia and the Philippines have a warm relationship.
Apart from cultural and tourist links, trade between us is
growing fast, with total two-way trade now nearing $ 200 million.
The Philippines is also an important member of the ASEAN group
of nations, and our ties with ASEAN continue to develop year
by year.
The UNCTAD session is an important one. It will focus attention
on international trade-problems and this is an issue of vital
concern not only to developing countries, but to the general
world community.
Australia of course is a developed country, but as a major
trading nation we understand the very real problems of the
developing world. These problems have been well chronicled.
There is a need to free up world trade to reduce
protectionism and to seek to open up new markets. The
need is in human terms. In some developing countries average
annual incomes are no more than $ 200 while less than one in
five adults are literate.
Between the various developing countries themselves, there is
a wide divergence of living standards. Many African and Latin
American-Caribbean countries are not as well off as
developing countries in the Asian region. This of course is
due to many factors, but in part reflects on the effectiveness
of economic policies carried out by developing countries
in the Asian region, and in particular their tackling of
inflation. It is a simple fact of life that the livelihood and well-being
of millions of families in developing countries depends so
much on access for their products in markets of the world. They
a * re at the whim. of strongly fluctuating commodity prices.
Over the years, unstable prices and restricted access have hit
developing countries. Australia knows this from our own
experience. Of course, for purchasing countries, boom-and-bust
markets have caused sudden and massive swings in prices
contributing to inflation and inflationary expectations.
It is therefore in the global interest that there be stable,
soundly-based commodity trade. 2
2-
Australia earnestly believes that a viable and well-managed
Common Fund, which countries in thc international community
have worked on for some years, can help achieve this
goal. In a very real sense, we have been the catalyst in
bringing the developed and developing world closer together
on thi's fundamental issue.
The importance of face-to-face discussions in forums like
UINCTA) can never be stressed too much. It is crucial that
in a world facing so many fundamental economic and trade
problems that leaders have the opportunity to listen personally
to each other's views. Clearly, there has to be more
communication between world leaders. Written communication
between Governments is necessary and unavoidable, but it can
never replace personal contact, for getting to the
nub of problems.
While in Manila, I will be having extensive discussions also
with the recently elected Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Ohira.
Japan has invited Australia to present our views on
international trade and economic issues prior to the important
Tokyo Economic Summit. It is an invitation we welcome
and appreciate.. Among other meetings I will also talk with
Mr. Ramphal, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat,
on the forthcoming Commonwealth -leads of Government meeting in
Lusaka and on matters such as the Common Fund.
Countries much larger and more powerful than Australia
recognize our unique position and our special experience.
We are a developed country with close links with developing
countries. We are a significant trader with expertise in
marketing of commodities like sugar, wheat and wool.
While we recognize the limits of our influence, we must continue
to take an active part in discussions and negotiations on
w~ orld economic issues. My meetings this week in Manila
demonstrate again the Government's strong desire to continue
as a responsible member of the international economic community.
000---