Four had been suggested: food and agriculture; trade and industrialisation; energy and international co-operation on
It was a energy matters; finance and monetary questions.
little early to be firm about what the Summit would achieve but it could perhaps draw up an analysis of general problems in these areas and suggest ways in which they might be resolved. There would be only 23 or 24 participants; this small number could not lay down the law for the rest of the world.
2. The High Commissioner for Jamaica asked who was responsible for the present troubles in Belize. Mr Day said that it was the main opposition party's youth arm. Mr Blaker said the latter did not appear to consider that the Heads of Agreement were sufficiently in Belize's favour. Mr Day did not know exactly what was in their minds; the disturbances started before the Heads of Agreement had been published, perhaps when it was thought that the settlement would involve some cession of land to Guatemala. This was not the case and the Governor had been trying to make this clear. It was possible that domestic political reasons also underlay the troubles. The High Commissioner for Jamaica then asked why the opposition
Mr Blaker said that party was not attending the Conference.
they disagreed with the terms of the Heads of Agreement. Mr Day added that their dissatisfaction stemmed also from their view that the Belize Government's proposals for the constitution would lead to the government of the day gaining But the control over the public service, the judiciary etc. Constitutional Conference had been called to discuss these very issues and it provided a forum in which the Opposition could explain their worries. Mr Blaker said that there had been other constitutional conferences held without opposition parties. The general line on such occasions had been to give the opposition parties the opportunity to attend but to take the view that, if they did not, their absence should not bar progress to independence. The High Commissioner for Jamaica asked if the Oppositions views would be available to the Conference and Mr Day said that they had passed some comments to the government earlier in the year and these views would be tabled. He revealed that the Opposition had been invited to join a select committee of the Belize Legislature to sound opinion in Belize on the constitution but they had declined to nominate any members for the committee.
3.
The High Commissioner for Grenada raised the possibility of the Commonwealth's continuing involvement in Belize after independence. Mr Blaker said that it was certainly open to Belize to join the Commonwealth. The High Commissioner for Grenada asked whether the Commonwealth might be involved
Mr Blaker said this in safeguarding Belize's independence.
was a matter for the Commonwealth as a whole and it was for the association to indicate its support for Belize. There were British forces in Belize at the present time but it was too early to say what would happen after independence.
/Britain