PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 8 August 1985
Following is the text of the Communique agreed to by Heads of
Government attending the South Pacific Forum, which met in
Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on 5-6 August, 1985.
1. The Sixteenth South Pacific Forum was held in Rarotonga,
Cook Islands, from 5 to 6 August, 1985. The meeting was
attended by Heads of Government from Australia, Cook Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia ( as an observer), Fiji,
Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu,
Vanuatu and Western Samoa, while Solomon Islands was
represented by the Deputy Prime fniirister and Tonga was
represente: d by its Forpign Minister. The Prime Mini--ter of
the Cook Islands, the Hon Sir Thomas Davis, KBE, chaired the
meet ing.
2. The main is~ zues were discussed as follows:
DECOLONISATIOW: NEW CALEDONIA
3. The Forum reviewed developments in New Caledonia since
its last meeting.
4. The Forum reaffirmed its support for self-determination
and the early transition to an independent New Caledonia in
accordance with the innate, active rights and aspirations of
the indigenous people and in a manner which guaranteed the
rights and interests of all inhabitants of this multi-racial
society. The Forum condemned the violence which had and continues
to occur in New Caledonia and which has resulted in tragic
loss of life thus seriously jeopardisingj the process of
dialogue. Heads of Government called on all parties to
refrain from further violence and to engage in constructive
dialogue which, alone, would ensure a peaceful and lasting
resolution of New Caledonia's present problems.
6. Referring to the decision on New Caledonia adopted at
its last meeting in Tuvalu, the Forum welcomed the fact. that
France had now publicly agreed to an early act of
self-determination with the objective of bringing New
Caledonia to independence. The Forum noted with satisfaction
that the date for the act of self-determination had been
brought forward: the vot%-e was now to take place by the end
of 1987 at the latest.
7. The Forum urged the French Government to undertake
electoral reforms before the act of self-determination to
ensure that the result accurately reflected the wishes of the
Kanak people and others who had a long-term residence in and
commitment to New Caledonia.
8. The Forum noted with interest the statement made by the
French Prime Minister in April 1985 in which he outlined
proposals for the administration of New Caledonia in the
period leading up to the act of seif-determination. The
Forum noted that, in accordance with the Prime Minister's
announcement, legislation concerning the relationship between
New Caledonia and France had recently been adopted by the
French Parliament. H~ eads of Government expressed the view
that the course of action on which the French Government had
now embarked contained positive elements which were
appropria~ e in assisting the territory in its evolution to
independence. The Forum expressed the strong hope that thic
plan would be firmly and consistently pursued to its
conclusion by 31 December 1987. The Forum called on all
parties to work towards the proper conduct of the forthcoming
regional elections in a fair and peaceful manner and to
advance diligently the process of decolonisation within New
Caledoni a.
9. In the light of strong reservations about increased
militarisation of the region, the Forum called on France to
clarify publicly the nature and extent of its announced
intention to upgrade its military facilities in New
Caledonia. The Forum also again stressed its view that
France should transfer additional political and
administrative powers to the territory to ensure that it was
adequately prepared for independence, and take the practical
steps necessary to guarantee the full and active
participation of the Melanesian community in the territory's
educational, vocational, administrative and economic
structures. The Forum addressed the question of granting Forum
observer status to the FLNKS and agreed to set up a working
group to review the question of observer status in the Forum.
The group should consider the existing guidelines governing
the question of observer status, and consider whether any
changes were desirable or necessary. The Forum noted that
the work of this group would assist consideration of, but not
be confined to, the proposal that the FLNKS be admitted to
observer status at Forum meetings.
11. The Forum discussei in some detail the question of
possible involvemeit ot the United Nations in the situation
in New Caledonia. it was widely acknowledged that keeping
the question before the international community was
important, and Forum members felt that speeches by Forum
members in the United Nations General Assembly's general
debate might take up the objectives of the Forum in relation
to New Caledonia. However, the Forum reaffirmed that it had
a continuing primary role, as a regional body, to continue
its consideration of developments in the territory and to
respond as and where appropriate. While noting the arguments
on the question of reinscription of New Caledonia on the
United Nations List of Non-Self Governing Territories, and
without accepting reinscription at this juncture, the Forum
would seek information from the appropriate organs of the UN
on the applicability of the UN Charter and the 1960
Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial
countries arnd peoples. It agreed to give further
consideration to this question at its 17th meeting. 1
12. The Forum noted that the Ministerial Group established
at Tuvalu to discuss Forum views on New Caledonia with the
Independence Front and the French authorities had fulfilled
its original mandate. It expressed appreciation for the
reports circulated to all Forum i. iebers. on the two meetings
which membz-rs of the Ministerial Group had held at the erkd of
1984. The Forum agreed, however, that there was a need for
all member countries to remain fully informed of developments
in future and decided to establish a Standing Committee of
officials to report to the Ministerial Group on a continuing
basis over the crucial period before the next meeting of the
Forum. The Officials Group should alert the Ministerial
Group to any development including political devcolopments in
France Itself which may call for a reaction or a response by
the Ministerial Group or by Forum Governments as a whole.
13. The Forum agreed that its views should be conveyed r
formally to the French Government.
FRENCH POLYNESIA
14. The Forum considered an application by French Polynesia
to the Forum for observer status. While acknowledging Frenchz
Polynesia's ties with some of its island neighbours the Forum
was unable to agree to granting the Territory observer status
under its existing guidelines for membership. In particular
the need for a definite date to have been set for
independence. These guidelines would be reviewed by a
working group.
REGIONAL NUCLEAR MATTERS
South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty
The Forum considered the Report of the Chairman of the
Working Group of officials on a South Pacific Nuclear Free
Zone and the agreed text of a draft South Pacific Nuclear
Free Zone Treaty annexed to the Report. It was noted that
the draft Treaty incorporated all of the principles on a
South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone adopted by the Fifteenth
Forum in Tuvalu. The Forum endorsed the text of the Treaty
produced by the Working Group and opened it for signature at
the Forum by those countries in a position to do so, it being
understood by the Forum that some countries would not be in a
position to sign the Treaty, at least until they had
subjected it to their normal constitutional processes. Heads
of Government of Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New
Zealand, Niue, Tuvalu and Western Samoa signed the Treaty.
16. The Forum also considered the three draft Protocols to[
the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty. Since the V
Protocols involve countries outside the region it was agreed
that consultations should be held with all the countries
eligible to sign the Protocols before they were finalised.
The Forum commissioned the Working Group on a South Pacific
Nuclear Free Zone to organise these consultations and to .7. ke
recommendations to Forum Leaders corncerning the adoption oi
the Protocols at the next meeting of the Forum in 1986 or
earlier if practicable.
17. The Forum observed that endorsement of the South Pacific
Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, which would establish onl~ y the
second nuclear weapon free zone in a permanently inhabited
area, reflected the deep concern of all Forum members at the
continuing nuclear arms race and the risk of nuclear war. In
this context the Forum welcomed the resumption of arms
control talks between the superpowers and expressed its hope
that these talks would achieve their declared objective of a
reduction in nuclear weapons and to their eventual
-elimination as well as to the prevention of an arms race in
space. The Forum also noted that the Third Review Conference
of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty would be held in
Geneva from 27 August to 24 September 1985 and that the South
Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty is in accordance with
Article VII of the NPT concerning regional arrangements to
ensure the absence of nuclear weapons. The Forum agreed that
the Review Conference be informed of the progress made on the
establishment of the zone.
18. The Forum expressed support for Australia's initiative
at the Review Conference to require the application of
fullscope International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards to
all nuclear exports to non-nuclear weapon states and noted
that the initiative was fully consistent with Article 4 of
the Zone Treaty. The Forum affirmed its support for the NPT
as the most important means of preventing the spread of
nuclear weapons to additional countries.
19. Forum Leaders noted that the southern boundary to which
the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone will apply is the area
governed by the Antarctic Treaty which provides for the
Antarctic to remain demilitarised, free of nuclear weapons
for there to be a ban on nuclear testing and the disposal of
nuclear wastes. Interest was expressed in the continued
viability of the Antarctic Treaty system which complemented
in an adjacent area their own efforts to establish a South
Pacific Nuclear Free Zone.
French Nuclear Testing I
The Forum reaffirmed its total opposition to French
nuclear testing in the South Pacific in defiance of the view
of all the independent and self-governing countries of the
region. The Forum urged France to cease immediately its
nuclear testing programme at Mururoa Atoll and noted that one
of the principal reasons for adopting a South Pacific Nuclear
Free Zone Treaty was the deep wish of all Forum members that
no nuclear tests be conducted anywhere within the region. The
Forum also r--affirmed their support for the early conclusion
of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty which would ban all
nuclear tests by all States in all environments.
Dumping of Radioactive Waste
21. The Forum reaffirmed its strong opposition to the
dumping of radioactive waste in the oceans of the region.
Forum Members were committed to the early conclusion of the
Convention and Protocols being negotiated under the auspices
of the South Pacific Regional Environment Program ( SPREP)
which would, among other things, preclude the dumping at sea
of radioactive waste in the region. The Forum noted that this
commitment was also enshrined in the South Pacific Nuclear
Free Zone Treaty.
22. The Forum welcomed the statement by the Prime Minister
of Japan that Japan had no intention of dumping radioactive
waste in the Pacific Ocean in disregard of the concern
expressed by the communities of the region.
23. The Forum considered further the proposal, made by Nauru f
at the Fifteenth Forum at Tuvalu, to strengthen the London
Dumping Convention ( LDC) including the Report of the Chairman
of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Working Group
recording the Working Group's consideration of the Nauru
proposal.
6
24. The Forum noted that the next meeting of parties would
take place from 23 to 27 September 1985. In the light of
their shared opposition to radioactive waste dumping at sea,
it was agreed that those Forum members participating in the
LDC Meeting would consult closely about approaches to this
issue at that meeting. It was recognised that it would be
desirable to achieve a common approach. The advantages were
noted of having additional Forum members'adhere to the LDC,
so as to increase the number of LDC parties which shared
South Pacific regional concerns.
SMALLER ISLAND COUNTRIES
The Forum received and adopted the Report of the
Committee on Smaller Island Countries prepared under a
mandate from the Tuvalu Statement. It also adopted the
following statement on Smaller Island countries:
" The South Pacific Forum contains a diversity of
membership, culturally, ethnically and in terms of the size,
natural resources and population of its member countries. All
Pacific Island states are small in global terms and many are
very isolated, widely scattered and vulnerable.
The chz-racteristics of smallness, isolation, severe lack
of resources and ulnerability are particularly acute
for the Smaller Island Countries of the Forum namely
Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue and Tuvalu. Many of these
c:-. aracteris ' tics are shared by the outer island
communities of the larger countries. They give rise to
particularly severe problems in terms of
limited agricultural and manufacturing potential;
diseconomies of scale and weak bargaining power;
expensive and irregular transport links;
inadequate communications.
The cumulative effect of these problems is that Smaller
Island Country economies face great difficulties in
generating self-sustaining economic activity and are
therefore heavily dependent on a continuing flow of
external assistance.
The Forum is founded on the recognition that regional
co-operation offers benefits to individual countries
through tackling common problems together. In the
Pacific Way, the smallest most vulnerable members of the
family deserve special attention. The Forum therefore
recognises that special emphasis on meeting the needs of
the Smaller Island Countries should be given through
support of their national development strategies and
through preferential treatment in regional programmes.
To this end the Forum considered a series of proposals
to put that special empi asis U. nto effect b-eth through
existing regional pro-jrammes and through new
initiatives. These proposals address action in the
fields of fisheries, transport, tourism, agriculture,
external employment, energy, water, culture, minerals,
manufacturing, communications and education. The Forum
noted the critical need for whatever economic potential
exists in the SICs to be explored and developed to the
full. This is more critical for these countries than for
other Forum members whose greater economic resources
allow a greater range of development options. In order
to ensure the effective inter-relationship of sectoral
efforts, due attention is also required in the areas of
national planning capabilities and the improvement of
development assistance procedures and co-ordination.
The Forum recognises that given the special
characteristics and problems of the SICs, the objective
of economic independence may not be practicable in some
cases even in the longer term. In these cases, provision
for development and recurrent budgetary aid must be
considered. For those SICs whose declared goal is
economic self-reliance, every effort should be extended
to assist in this endeavour. The Forum recognises that
calling for further additional financial and techni.-al
assistance in order to achievc the objective and selfreliance
may appear paradoxical. Yet in order to ignite
a self-generating process of economic development in
very small economies additional fuel is needed. The
Forum therefore invites aid donors to the region, be
they traditional friends or new ones, to join in
recognising the special needs of the Smaller Forum
Island Country members and to extend to them additional
and concessional assistance in their programmes."
26. The Forum welcomed the response by Australia, Fiji and
New Zealand in particular who offered a range of additional
benefits and trade concessions to the Smaller Island
Countries to assist them with their special developmental
problems. 27. Australia circulated to the Forum a paper on assistance
it could make available to Smaller Island Countries in
respect of the recommendations in the committee report.
28. In addition to providing assistance in manpower
development, Fiji announced that a special concessional duty
rate had been introduced and was in place for imports of
handcraft from Smaller Island Countries into Fiji.
29. Appreciation was expressed for a gre'nt of NZ$ 250,03O0
from the New Zealand Government to fund follow-up to the
report. The Forum agreed that representatives of the Smaller
Island Countries should meet to decide on the application of
these and other funds which may become available.
ASEAN/ FORUM DIALOGUE
Heads of Government agreed on the desirability of
continuing to develop relations between the Forum and ASEAN,
and to this end considered that there should be a further
consolidation of links between SPEC and the ASEAN
Secretariat. SINGLE REGIONAL ORGANISATION
31. The Forum noted the interim report of the Committee of
Foreign Ministers which had been established to look into the
question of a Single Regional Organisation. It commended the
Ministers for their work to date and requested them to
continue their review.
INCREASED INTER-PARLIAMENTARY CONTACT
32. The Forum received a proposal for developing increased
inter-parliamentary contacts in the region and agreed to the
preparation by New Zealand of a more detailed paper to be
presented to the next Forum.
REGIONAL TRADE SPARTECA
33. The Forum received the Report of the Fifth Meeting of
the Regional Committee on Trade, held in Nauru in June 1985.
It noted with satisfaction that trade under the South Pacific
Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement ( SPARTECA)
continued to grow and that Australia and New Zealand were
continuing efforts through SPARTECA to assist the development
of the Forum Island Countries. The Forum welcomed the
announcement by Australia that across-the-board duty-free
unrestricted access was to be granted to all exports from
Forum Island countries other than products to which
Australian sectoral policies apply. It also welcomed moves by
Australia and New Zealand to liberalise thle rules of origin
for imports under SPARTECA. The Forum acknowledged the
concern of Smaller Island Countries that the provisions of
SPARTECA were not particularly relevant to their needs:
their export-oriented base was so small that they could not
take advantage of the concessionary terms of trade that were
available under the Agreement and special arrangements might
be necessary in their case. The Forum welcomed the offer of
Australia and New Zealand to enter into discussions, without
obligation, of whether there would be an advantage for other
Forum countries to enter a broadened ANZCER. The Forum
requested the Regional Committee on Trade to be held in
Wellington next year to report on this matter.
34. In the con-text of trade and investment the Forum
welcomed an announcement by New Zealand of extensions to the
PIIDS which should increase the effectiveness of the Scheme
in attracting soundly based investment to the Forum Island
Countries. THE PACIFIC FORUM LINE ( PFL)
The Forum was pleased to note that the Pacific Forum
Line had made very real progress in its development as an
economically viable service. In 1985 it is expected that the
PFL will for, the first time, achieve close to a break-even
point in its operations. The Forum was appreciative of a
recent grant from the EEC of 3.2 million ECUs for containers
for the PFL and also welcomed a matching grant from New
Zealand of approximately NZ$ 5 million for the Line. The
Forum endorsed a pre-feasibility study of the proposed
extension of the PFL feeder service from Fiji-Tuvalu-
Kiribati to Micronesia.
FORUM FISHERIES AGENCY
36. The Forum took note o f the FFA Director's report and
expressed great satisfaction with the Agency's performance.
The Forum also expressed satisfaction that the FFA had now
been fully recognised by the major foreign fishing nations.
It called for the speedy conclusion of a multilateral treaty
with the United States, which was of major importance to the
countries in the Pacific.
MICRONESIA 37. Heads of Government noted that the Peoples of the
Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
had exercised their right of self-determination in free and
fair plebiscites observed by the United Nations. They looked
forward to early approval of the termination of the
Trusteeship Agreement over these territories by the United
Nations in accordance with the express wishes of their
Peoples. They also looked forward to the conclusion of
arrangements for the termination of the Trusteeship over the
Republic of Palau. f
38. The Forum welcomed and approved the application by Palau
to be~ come a full member of the Forum Fisheries Agency.
39. The Forum expressed its sincere condolences to the
family, the people and the Government of Palau over the
tragic death of its late President, Haruo I Remeliik. It
wished to record its appreciation of the late President's
interest in and contribution to regional affairs in the South
Pacific.
CHINA AND JAPAN
Forum leaders noted that the General Secretary of the
Chinese Communist Party had recently made a cuccessful visit
to a number of regional member states, and had again
emphasised China's strong interest in playing a helpful and
constructive role in the region. The Forum noted Australia's
offer to facilitate productive contacts between China and
those FICs which might wish to develop their relations with
China. 41. The Forum, taking into account Prime Minister Nakasone ' s
visit to the region and the current levels of Japanese aid to
Forum States, requested SPEC to explore the establishment of
a dialogue with Japan with a view to obtaining further
assistance for the Smaller Island Countries in particular.
42. The Forum unanimcusly welcomed Fiji's offer to host the
Seventeenth South Pacific Forum at a time to be decided in
1986."
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
6 August 1985