TNAG-1117-FCO40-1391-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 198

IN CONFIDENCE

with the remaining dependencies and the continuing

North/South dialogue into that framework.

-

unprofitable

3. There are other reasons why I would suggest that you

place your second and third ideas in this wider context.

The Office and the Institute of Development Studies held

a seminar on the dependent territories as recently as

September 1979 and it would seem wrong, for the seminar

you are planning to spend too much time running over ·

the same ground. While the North/South dialogue is

immensely important today, not least in the Commonwealth

context, the association does take a keen interest in

other issues and has the flexibility of approach that will

enable it, in coming years, to become involved in still more.

What these issues are and will be is a fruitful area for

discussion.

4.

All this leads me to suggest the following agenda:

A) The future of the Commonwealth

(i) membership (including a glance at the

remaining dependencies and perhaps a longer

look at the present and final patterns of

membership);

(ii) present and future areas of interest (including

davill}

North South, Africa, Island States); and

(iii) political and functional cooperation (what the

official and unofficial Commonwealth already

does and might usefully do in the future).

IN CONFIDENCE

/B)