UNCLASSIFIED
165454
MDLQAN 6098
CONFIRMATION, THE 10 HEADS OF GOVERNMENT WILL MEET IN LONDON ON 21/22 JANUARY UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE MALAYSIAN PRIME
MINISTER.
2.
YOU SHOULD NOT SEEK TO ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE WITH YOUR HOST AUTHORITIES AT THIS STAGE, BUT YOU MAY DRAW FREELY ON THE LINE TO TAKE AND PARAGRAPHS 4 AND 5 BELOW IN ANY DISCUSSION WITH COMMONWEALTH COLLEAGUES.
LINE TO TAKE
3.
WELCOME PROGRESS THAT IS BEING MADE IN THE GROUP OF
OFFICIALS. SEEMS TO BE BROAD CONSENSUS ON NEED TO RESTATE THE 'SINGAPORE PRINCIPLES' AND DESIGNATE A LIMITED NUMBER OF AREAS FOR PRIORITY ACTION BY THE COMMONWEALTH AND ITS INSTITUTIONS WHICH DERIVE FROM THESE PRINCIPLES.
THESE PRIORITY AREAS SHOULD INCLUDE AN INCREASED FOCUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS.
IMPRESSED BY BUSINESSLIKE APPROACH OF NEW SECRETARY-GENERAL TO
THE TASK OF ENABLING THE SECRETARIAT TO RESPOND FLEXIBLY TO NEW REQUIREMENTS WITHIN OVERALL RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS.
BACKGROUND
4.
THE MEETING HAD BEFORE IT A NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS FROM GOVERNMENTS, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS AND ACADEMICS, AND A LETTER FROM LORD ARMSTRONG WHICH ATTEMPTED TO BRING THE DISCUSSION INTO SOMEWHAT SHARPER FOCUS. THERE WAS A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT THE 1971 SINGAPORE DECLARATION OF COMMMONWEALTH PRINCIPLES WOULD CONSTITUTE A GOOD BASIS FOR A RESTATEMENT BY HEADS OF GOVERNMENT AT HARARE OF THE COMMONWEALTH'S OBJECTIVES, AND THAT THE GROUP'S PROPOSALS FOR SPECIFIC ISSUES FOR FUTURE PRIORITY ACTION SHOULD RELATE CLOSELY TO THOSE PRINCIPLES. THESE PRIORITY SUBJECTS (FROM A LIST SUGGESTED BY LORD ARMSTRONG WHICH WAS ACCEPTED AS A USEFUL STARTING POINT) CONSISTED OF:
ENCOURAGEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS, THE RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES (THE RULE OF LAW BEING AN ADDITION SPECIFICALLY AND INSISTENTLY PROPOSED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF CYPRUS).
THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN COMMONWEALTH
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