the process of normalisation among the countries of the South Asian subcontinent. However, they expressed their grave concern at the impediment to normalisation of relations posed by certain outstanding problems resulting in the aggravation of economic hardship and the retardation of the process of national reconstruction in Bangladesh. These problems include the repatriation of nationals and the sharing of assets. Heads of Government expressed the hope that the problems will be resolved expeditiously and satisfactorily through discussions among the countries concerned in the larger interest of peace and stability in the region.

Indo-China

15. Heads of Government welcomed the end of the prolonged war in IndoChina, urged countries in a position to do so to contribute to international assistance for the urgent tasks of rehabilitation and reconstruction and looked forward to the new Governments of the region playing their full part in the community of nations.

The Caribbean

16. Heads of Government strongly reaffirmed the right of people in each country to choose the form of government which they considered best able to achieve their social, economic and political goals.

Belize

Heads of Government offered their full support for the aspirations of the people of Belize for early independence. Noting that talks had recently been resumed with Guatemala, and bearing in mind the special responsibilities of Britain as the administering power, Heads of Government urged the parties to take all necessary action for a speedy solution of the problem, which could be endorsed by the international community through the United Nations, in accordance with the principle of the self-determination of peoples as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

Cuba

Heads of Government expressed the hope that all countries would now normalise their relations with Cuba and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State and the right of its people to the Government of their choice.

Southern Africa

17. Heads of Government had a thorough and constructive discussion of the changing situation in Southern Africa and its implications for the Commonwealth. They considered that the imminent independence of Mozambique and Angola had radically altered the balance of forces in the area and tributes were paid to the liberation movements who had contributed so decisively to this result.

18. Heads of Government re-emphasised that the objective for Rhodesia was independence on the basis of majority rule. They welcomed the initiatives taken by the Heads of Government of Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia and the President of FRELIMO to achieve this objective by peaceful means if

possible. The Heads of Government, meeting informally, heard a statement by Bishop Muzorewa, President of the African National Council. The meeting noted that the Nationalist Movement, now united in the African National Council, was seeking with sincerity and determination the basis for an agreed settlement.

19. Heads of Government reaffirmed their total support for the struggle of the people of Zimbabwe for independence on the basis of majority rule and pledged to concert their efforts for the speedy attainment of this objective. They took note of the determination of the African freedom fighters, supported by African and other States, to achieve their objective by peaceful means if possible and recognise the inevitability of intensified armed struggle should peaceful avenues be blocked by the racist and illegal régime. The moral responsibilities in those circumstances would lie with the minority Government and those who had chosen to sustain it.

20. The meeting noted that South Africa continues to support the rebel government by affording it the military and economic assistance on which its survival depends and reaffirmed their view that South Africa should fulfil its international obligations and strictly apply the United Nations mandatory sanctions and withdraw its forces from Rhodesia.

21. It was agreed that the prospects for a settlement would be greatly enhanced by the strict enforcement of sanctions by the international community as a whole. Heads of Government undertook to bring this consideration to the attention of Governments outside the Commonwealth in renewed representations where a breach of sanctions was known to have occurred. They also agreed to take action at the international level for the reinforcement and extension of sanctions.

22. In considering the recommendations of the Commonwealth Sanctions Committee, and authorising the Committee to continue its work, Heads of Government emphasised the importance of taking immediate practical steps to assist an independent Mozambique in applying sanctions, since the great bulk of Rhodesia's exports and imports is dependent on Mozambique's transit facilities. They were unanimously in favour of providing immediate financial assistance to the new Government of Mozambique. They also endorsed the recommendation that an initiative should be taken by Commonwealth Governments at the United Nations to establish a programme of assistance for Mozambique in terms of Articles 49 and 50 of the Charter.

23. Heads of Government were deeply concerned that South Africa continues to occupy Namibia illegally in total disregard of the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of June 1971, and in defiance of world opinion. Reaffirming that the fragmentation of Namibia was unacceptable, they recalled the obligation of the international community to maintain the territorial integrity of the territory and the right of its people to self-determination and independence. 24. The meeting looked forward to the time when the Government and people of Namibia might be welcomed into the Commonwealth, if that were their wish.

25. Heads of Government reaffirmed their total and unequivocal condemnation of apartheid and all forms of racialism. They welcomed the British

Government's decision to comply strictly with the United Nations embargo on the sale of arms to South Africa and to terminate the Simonstown Agreement. They condemned the violation of the embargo by those countries which continue to supply arms to South Africa or enable them to be manufactured in that country. Noting the alarming increase in South Africa's defence expenditure, Heads of Government expressed their concern that this military build-up was bound to increase tension in an area already plagued by dangerous conflict. Heads of Government also agreed to maintain and intensify effective pressure on South Africa in the struggle for the elimination of apartheid.

26. Heads of Government reiterated their support for humanitarian assistance to the indigenous people of Southern Africa in their efforts to achieve selfdetermination and independence. Several Heads of Government described their contributions to various bilateral and multilateral programmes and indicated their intention to increase such assistance. The meeting also noted with approval the development of the special Commonwealth programme for assisting the education of Rhodesia Africans and indicated their desire to expand this programme to meet new and urgent needs. In particular, Heads of Government recognised the importance of extending the variety of education and training opportunities available to the people of Zimbabwe, with special emphasis on technical and industrial training, "in service" experience and administrative training. It was also agreed that Commonwealth multilateral assistance should be made available to help in the developmental and training needs of the people of Namibia.

Economic Matters

27. Commonwealth Heads of Government recognised the need to take immediate steps towards the creation of a rational and equitable new international economic order. They reaffirmed the statement included in the Commonwealth Declaration adopted in Singapore in 1971 that "the wide disparities of wealth now existing between different sections of mankind are too great to be tolerated our aim is their progressive removal", and acknowledge the complexity, range and inter-related nature of the issues involved. They agreed that a small group of experts should be invited to draw up for consideration by Commonwealth Governments, in the context of the current international dialogue, a comprehensive and inter-related programme of practical measures directed at closing the gap between the rich and the poor countries. These measures would be designed to promote development and to increase the transfer of real resources to developing countries inter alia in the areas of production, distribution and exchange of primary and secondary products as well as services. Heads of Government recognised the importance in this context of co-operating to achieve an expanding world economy and world trade.

28. The group of experts should be selected from the Commonwealth on the basis of their personal capacities and their expert knowledge of contemporary problems of international economic development, and should be assembled in a way which would enable the perspectives of different regions of the Commonwealth and different national development strategies to be brought to bear on the problems concerned.

29. The group of experts should address itself to the issues and proposals elaborated in:

(i) the declaration and the programme of action on the establishment of a new international economic order as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly; and

(ii) the relevant principles of the Commonwealth Declaration adopted in Singapore in 1971; and

(iii) the concepts and proposals advanced during the discussions of the international economic situation at the Kingston meeting of Heads of Government including the presentations by the Government of Guyana on behalf of the Caribbean and the Government of Britain. 30. In drawing up a programme of practical measures the group should pay particular attention to:

(i) measures to transfer real resources from developed to developing countries through international co-operation in the field of international trade in primary commodities with particular reference to the integrated commodities programme recommended by the SecretaryGeneral of UNCTAD, current proposals of buffer stocks, for indexation, and other relevant proposals, including the proposal for a general agreement on commodities;

(ii) measures which the international community can introduce for assisting developing countries:

(a) to increase food production;

(b) to promote rural development;

(c) to promote economic co-operation among themselves at the sub-regional, intra-regional and inter-regional levels;

(d) a review of existing organisations for industrial co-operation and development;

(e) to obtain greater control over, and benefits from, such activities as shipping, insurance, banking and other parts of the infrastructure for international trade and development;

(iii) programmes for industrial development involving new and expanded forms of industrial co-operation, the enlargement of employment opportunities in developing countries, and more favourable access to the markets of developed countries;

(iv) a review of existing organisations for industrial co-operation and development;

(v) mechanisms for increasing the flow of long-term development funds, the transfer of technology and the transfer of real resources to developing countries; and

(vi) reform and where necessary the restructuring of the international institutions concerned with the management of international trade and finance, and whether means could be found to increase the effective share of the developing countries in the decision-making process of the major international financial institutions.

In all of the above matters due regard would be paid to the special needs of the least developed, land-locked, the most seriously affected, and island developing States with limited natural resources.

31. In drawing up its recommendations the group of experts should consider the feasibility of utilising relevant concepts and mechanisms embodied in recent economic co-operation agreements between certain developed and developing countries.

32. The group of experts should consist of not more than 10 persons. 33. The members of the group should be appointed by the SecretaryGeneral after consultation with member Governments.

34. The group should aim at submitting to Governments an interim report on the results of its work indicating measures which are amenable to early and effective implementation in time to permit discussion of this report at the next meeting of Commonwealth Ministers and to enable Governments to take this report into account before the Seventh Special Session of the General Assembly. 35. It is expected that the group will endeavour to hold its first meeting by the end of May or early in June.

36. It would be desirable that the Secretary-General-elect should be associated at as early a stage as possible with the work of the group.

37. Heads of Government appointed Mr. Alister McIntyre, SecretaryGeneral of the Caribbean Community, Chairman of the Expert Group.

Lomé Convention

38. Heads of Government welcomed the conclusion of the Lomé Convention drawn up by the European Economic Community and 46 countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. They welcomed the increased co-operation within the Convention between Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries in these areas. They expressed the hope that the principles underlying the Lomé Convention could usefully contribute to the further development of relations between the EEC and other industrialised countries, on the one hand, and developing countries, including the Asian and other Commonwealth countries, on the other.

39. Heads of Government welcomed the valuable support which the Secretariat is giving to Commonwealth countries in the multilateral trade negotiations.

Food Production and Rural Development

40. Heads of Government discussed the report of the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Food Production and Rural Development held in London in March 1975. They welcomed the opportunity it had provided to consider in a Commonwealth setting the problems of the three-quarters of the population of Commonwealth developing countries who live in rural areas. Heads of Government endorsed the view that the problems of rural development and food production should be attacked in an integrated manner and should receive high priority from individual Governments and aid agencies. They stressed the need for aid-providing agencies to adapt their practices and programmes to meet the special needs of food production and rural development,