TNAG-1117-FCO40-1391-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 132

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DSR 11C

over Namibia at Melbourne.

Health Ministers meetings precede WHO

conference and help to keep them freer from confrontation than theey

might otherwise be. The Attorney-General considered the last Law

Ministers' meeting worthwhile; Finance Ministers meetings have often

been useful. Recent Education and Agriculture Ministers meetings

have been of less value.

10. One problem with Commonwealth meetings, particularly CHGMS, is

that they take up more of Ministers' and Senior Officials' time than

might be desirable. Another is that, particularly on North/South

issues, we often tend to be in a minority of one. We are isolated

from our natural Allies (EC partners, the USA, Japan) and cannot always

expect support from Canada and Australia who share important

economic interests with the developing countries. The pressure under

which we find ourselves in, for instance, UN fora, to subscribe to

unwelcome formulations can, therefore, be correspondingly greater at

Commonwealth gatherings.

11. The various Commonwealth bodies to which we belong for the most

part provide us with useful, though not by any means essential,

contacts.

In the case of the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, we

derive particular benefit. The Commonwealth aid programmes do a modest

amount of good; they are cost effective and our participation in them

brings us a certain amount of political credit.

12. Our bilateral relations with Commonwealth countries are

influenced to a far greater extent by historical ties, of which the

Commonwealth is an expression, than by the Commonwealth organisation

itself. But the Commonwealth usefully reinforces them. Our

political and economic relations with most Commonwealth countries

are good; and though our share of Commonwealth markets inevitably

declines after countries become independent we remain among the

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