5018 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 191

General

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Vancouver, Canada

The Vancouver Declaration on World Trade

1. The Commonwealth leaders representing a wide range of both developed and developing countries note with grave concern rising global protectionist pressures. Continuing implementation of protectionist measures would be counter-productive, would increase the risk of further exchange rate instability and would exacerbate the problems of development and indebtedness. Trade restrictions affect particularly the exports and growth prospects of developing countries and their ability to service debt, all of which in turn impact adversely on the economies of the industrial countries.

2. We welcome the progress of negotiations in the Uruguay Round covering a range of important subjects. We will work for a balanced outcome to develop a more open, viable and durable multilateral trading system to promote growth and development. We recognise the growing importance and the asymmetrical position of developing countries in the trading system. This underlines the need to give special consideration to their interests within the agreed framework of the Uruguay Round. It is essential that the Punta del Este commitments on “standstill” and “rollback” be fully respected and implemented.

3. We agree on the crucial need for reform of all trade-distorting agricultural policies, both domestic and international. We urge early action on agriculture in the Uruguay Round so as to reduce the uncertainty, imbalances and instability in world markets. This will benefit both developed and developing countries.

4. A strong, credible, working GATT is essential to the well-being of all trading countries and is the best bulwark against mounting protectionist pressures. The functioning of the GATT should be improved through enhancing its role in maintaining an open multilateral system and its capacity in the area of dispute settlement. We hope that the negotiations will make sufficient progress on agriculture and other key subjects to enable a mid-term ministerial review of the Uruguay Round as allowed for in the Punta del Este Declaration.

5. We welcome the assistance which the Commonwealth Secretariat is providing to member governments in the trade field, including the re-establishment of a Trade Adviser’s Office in Geneva and increased levels of technical support, and we request the Secretary-General to continue to give priority to work in this field. In addition, the larger states of the Commonwealth undertake to assist developing countries, including smaller states, through regular consultations and trade policy training programmes.

Vancouver, 15 October 1987.

The official Communiqué of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Vancouver, Canada, is available from the Commonwealth & United Nations Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Private Bag, Wellington.

The 12 November issue of the New Zealand Gazette will publish the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting-Okanagan Statement on Southern Africa.

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Remembrance Day 1987

Citizens throughout New Zealand are requested to observe Remembrance Day on Sunday, 8 November.

The observance of this day should be similar to that of Remembrance Day last year. Two minutes’ silence to be observed from 11 a.m.

The Government trusts that all churches will agree to arrange, as far as practicable, for a morning service on this day, to commence at such time as to enable two minutes’ silence to be observed at 11 o’clock.

When a citizens’ memorial service is held, it is suggested that it should be at the local cenotaph or war memorial.

Dated at Wellington this 1st day of November 1987.

MICHAEL BASSETT, Minister of Internal Affairs.

(Con 9/3/8)

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PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS:
V. R. WARD, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND—1987

Price $2.20