TNAG-0429-FCO40-494-Programme-Analysis-and-Review-(PAR)-Future-of-Dependent-Terr-1974 — Page 22

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THE FUTURE OF THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

1.

Since the second World War HMG's overall policy towards the dependent territories has been straight- forward: where possible to bring them forward to eventual independence a process well illustrated by recent developments is the Seychelles. But we are now approach- ing a turning point; for one reason or another most of our remaining dependencies can no longer follow what we have come to regard as the normal path to independence. It is, therefore, timely to review our policy on their future. That is the purpose of this paper, the time- scale of which is the next five years, that is until the

end of 1980.

Background

2. Our possession of these territories is a legacy of the past; we acquired them for historical reasons which are no longer valid. In most cases they are of limited or no intrinsic value to us. But their continued dependence involves a significant political cost; it means that we are liable to have to take the rap for locally engendered crises, and accept international criticism for "colonialism" irrespective of the standards of administration which we provide; our political and economic relations with countries which have territorial claims against them may be impaired; and we have to accept defence commitments which we might otherwise prefer to give up; we may be required to divert to them administrative and financial resources from tasks much more important to the UK itself. Nevertheless we have an inescapable moral obligation to safeguard the welfare of their inhabitants, for whom we are responsible.

We

should rightly be criticised if we adopted a policy of withdrawal without regard for the consequences, particularly in the case of those dependencies which have an inadequate economic and social infrastructure, and which are unlikely ever to become self-sustaining or economically truly independent. The circumstances of each territory differ widely, and our policy for each must be considered separately, taking into account, inter alia, the decisions which will follow the Defence

Review. The basic problem is to reconcile our own

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RESORTCUTSTY

(17759) Dd.897459 250m 12/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863

(1941) Dd.897300 250m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863

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