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PRIME MINISTER
COMMONWEALTH SENIOR OFFICIALS MEETING
26 MAY 1976
. I am glad to have this opportunity to welcome you to Canberra and
to formally open your Meeting. This is the first " Commonwealth
of Nations" Meeting I have attended as Prime Minister. I would like
. therefore, to take this opportunity of stating Australia's attitude
towards the Commonwealth.
In the early months of office, the Government in Australia has been
very much occupied with events in our own part of the world, and
by our own domestic economic problems. This meeting now provides
a welcome opportunity to emphasise Australia's continued support for
the Commonwealth of Nations. I am a firm believer in the concept
. of today's Commonwealth, and my Government will continue to cooperate
wholeheartedly in Commonwealth activities.
91 am very pleased that Australia is providing the location for this
meeting. This is the first time that the Commonwealth has gathered
at this level, in these numbers, in the Southern Hemisphere, even
though one third of the Commonwealth's members come from this side of
the world. The Commonwealth has now become a substantive international
organisation. It is no longer a mere " ghost of Empire".
It is a voluntary association of independent countries who continue
to belong to the Commonwealth not out of sentimentality but for
sound practical reasons. In a world where there is a growing tendency
for nations to bemore and more involved in the affairs of their own
region, the Commonwealth provides a useful and valuable bridge between
regions.
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The growing regional involvement of members if anything, has
increased the value of discussions in Commonwealth forums by
broadening the perspective of members on world issues. In our
own region, Australia is developing a broader set of relations
with the nations of the Pacific and South East Asia.
Other Commonwealth countries are likewise developing closer links
with their regional neighbours. Britain herself has, of course.,
become more closely involved in the affairs of Europe through her
membership of the European economic community. Before Britain joined
the Common Market she claimed her entry would be a great advantage to
the Commonwealth: a Britain revitalised and strengthened by
participating in the Common Market would be able to play a more
influential and constructive role in world affairs.
We were heartened by the British vow to lead the European Economic.
Community to an outward and constructive role in world affairs,
away from a conception of a narrow and selfish trading bloc.
Many of the Commonwealth's member nations are exporters of primary
products. Although Australia must be considered a developed nation,
since our main exports are primary products, our interests in this
matter lie with the under-developed world.
The European Economic Community whose trading strength in industria@
products is second to none, advocates reduction of tariff barriers on
manufactured goods. At the same time it raises barriers so artificial
so immense against primary products in competition with theirs, thaO
few nations can penetrate them. If the E. E. C. applied their attiurs
on barriers to manufactured goods to primary products, the European
nations could greatly increase their standards of living and lower
their costs.
We eargerly await the plain evidence of British influence in the
European Economic Community which was so emphatically promised to us
as a great contribution to a better and freer world.
If this can happen, Britain's view that her membership of
the E. E. C. will enable her to play a more constructive role in
Commonwealth affairs will be validated. If it is not, the Commonwealth
will not have been strengthened In other ways, the
changing pattern of international relations has altered and
strengthened the Commonwealth.
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No longer are the nations of the Commonwealth linked just through
Britain. Through the Commonwealth a network of relations have
developed between the independent member countries. The links
which have ' grown up between individual Commonwealth countries have
become at least as important as the longstanding links between
each and Britain. The old Empire of Five is a thing of the past.
Organisations managed by, or closely associated with, the Commonwealth
Secretariat, such as the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation,
the Commonwealth Foundation, and the Commonwealth Youth Program
to name only three, undertake effective and expanding activities.
There are literally hundreds of " Commonwealth-based" organisations
covering a broad range of activities one of these, the Commonwealth
Telecommunications Organisation, is to hold a major Conference in
Sydney in early 1977. Many of these bodies were originally established
with and their subsequent development encouraged by financial
and other assistance from the Commonwealth.
These activities now express the importance of Commonwealth linksboth
Governmental and private. They are an encouraging indicator of
the vitality of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is not, and never
has been, a political power bloc. And it is quite inconceivable
that it could ever become one. But it can help to give the small
and medium sized countries a more effective voice in world affairs.
An association of small and medium sized countries from all parts of
the world, many of which are also members of important regional
organisations, is well placed to help in developing a stable world
order that is not solely dependent on agreements between the super powers
It is not part of our conception of the world that any grouping
of major powers should have predominant influence over middle and
smaller countries.
We must seek relationships where smaller countries are free and
able to pursue their needs, not a world which requires subservience
to the largest powers.
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In particular, because it makes it easy to have sympathetic
and open discussion among countries of such varying levels
of economic development, the Commonwealth seems to have a
special role in the search for solutions to international
economic problems.
This is a search which, until now, has tended to be conduced
by and primarily in the interests of, the economically advanced
nations. The Commonwealth brings together rich and poor nations, develope4
and developing, producing and consuming, black and white,
aligned and non-aligned. It is eminently suited to support
constructive discussion between nations on these matters. 0
There is a search for a new international economic order.
The means by which this order is sought will have a large
impact on its ultimate form.
The Commonwealth has, in the past, served as a catalyst in
important international developments, most notably the
establishment of the Colombo Plan Scheme in 1950.
This scheme was subsequently widened to cover the bulk of the
flow of official development assistance to the countries of
Asia. More recently the Commonwealth has played an important part
in focussing attention and achieving action on southern
African issues.
It was also sought to contribute to solving the Cyprus dispute
I believe it can also make a valuable contribution towards
achieving a more equitable economic order.
The present meeting of senior officials is the most important
Commonwealth meeting at sub-ministerial level.
These biennial meetings which commenced in 1972 provide
an important regular way of consulting between heads of
government meetings.
This meeting will be considering, among other things, the
past and future programme of the Commonwealth Secretariat
which continues to serve the. Commonwealth well under a
distinguished new Secretary General.
The Secretariat has played a vital part in a decade of
evolution and change for the Commonwealth.
I welcome the consolidation which is now taking place at
the Secretariat under the leadership of the new Secretary-General.
I read with interest his memorandum to the review committee,
and especially endorse the sentiment of his following comments:-
" As the Secretariat is the servant of all Commonwealth
Governments, I must emphasise that its work programme
and priorities are incapable of being developed
autonomously. They must necessarily be flexible and
responsive to the wishes of member Governments..."
This meeting will be giving attention to a number of major
world problems. It will consider how the nations of the
Commonwealth acting separately and together can help to solve
or amerliorate them.
I am delighted to be able to welcome Papua-New Guinea to these
discussions.-This is Papua-New Guinea's first attendance at
a major Commonwealth meeting.
I am sure we all look forward to their continuing contribution
to Commonwealth meetings.
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This meeting will also be concerned to give some preliminary
attention to arrangements for the next meeting of Commonwealth
heads of Government
These heads of Governments meeting have been . aptly described
as the hub of Commonwealth cooperation.
I am looking forward personally to taking part in the 1977 meeting
in London.
I would be grateful if you would inform the heads of Government
whom you advise and represent that I look forward especially to
establishing a cooperative relationship with them at next
year's meeting.
Throughout its history the Commonwealth has had the capacity
to respond and change to new demands new needs.
It has now attained a new maturity.
The diversity among the members of the Commonwealth is a
source of strength, encouraging a broad understanding and toler4
of each other's problems.
For nations to talk constructively with one another, and to
co-operate in the solution of shared problems, an attitude
of consultation and a reasoned approach to issues is essential.
One of the strengths of the Commonwealth is that it encourages
such an attitude.
The Commonwealth may well become an increasingly worthwhile
instrument for helping to attack the grave problems of poverty,
disease, injustice and racial conflict which no one Government
no one country can hope to solve on its own.