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MDLOAN 6098
COUNTRIES (INCLUDING AT NIGERIAN INSISTENCE THE ROLE OF
WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT).
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECURITY OF SMALL STATES, AND PARTICULARLY SMALL ISLAND STATES, IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
SUPPORTING THE PROCESS OF POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION IN SOUTH AFRICA.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
THE DISCOURAGEMENT OF DRUG TRAFFIC AND THE REMEDIATION OF DRUG
ABUSE.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED COMMONWEALTH LINKS IN THE FIELD OF
EDUCATION.
THE NEED TO FOSTER NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS AND LINKS.
IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING IN THE
COMMONWEALTH AND ITS ROLES AND STRENGTHS IN ALL COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES, AND PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE.
AMONG THESE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY WILL PROBABLY BE GIVEN BY THE GROUP TO HUMAN RIGHTS, DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, EDUCATION AND SOUTH AFRICA. THROUGHOUT THE DISCUSSION THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT IN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH WE SHOULD BE BUILDING ON THE COMMONWEALTH'S EXISTING STRENGTHS, AND GIVING PRIORITY TO THE SORT OF ACTIVITY FOR WHICH THE COMMONWEALTH HAS A UNIQUE, OR AT LEAST A SPECIAL, APTITUDE OR COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE, OVER ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE OF OR CAN BEST BE DEALT WITH IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS.
5. THE GROUP ALSO LOOKED FORWARD TO THE SECOND PHASE OF THE REVIEW (ORGANISATIONAL), AND HEARD A VERY POSITIVE COMMITMENT BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL TO CARRY THROUGH A FULL REVIEW OF THE STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION OF THE SECRETARIAT, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD TO WORK WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF OVERALL CEILINGS BY GOVERNMENTS ON THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS. HE WOULD SEEK TO ACHIEVE A FLEXIBILITY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SECRETARIAT WHICH WOULD ALLOW IT TO TAKE
ON NEW PRIORITY WITHOUT NECESSARILY SEEKING ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES.
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