Canberra, 10 October 1966
Preparation for the establishment of a Papua and New Guinea diplomatic service
1. refer to your memorandum 2-1-5 of 2nd August, 1966 in which you suggest there is an immediate need to begin training recruits for the establishment of a Papua and New Guinea Diplomatic Service.1
2. There seem to be a number of aspects of this proposal which require further consideration.
3. The establishment of a training scheme of the kind proposed seems to carry the implication that in the foreseeable future the Territory will be conducting its own external affairs as an independent state. Such an implication would conflict with the statements of Government policy that the present goal of constitutional development is internal self-government and, after some experience, the people of the Territory will choose whether they want to change their status and, if they do, whether they wish to become fully independent or to seek some form of association with Australia. The establishment of a training scheme which presupposes a particular choice could be regarded as implying that the Government is not sincere when it says that the people of the Territory will have these alternatives to choose between.
4. It also seems relevant that many countries which have recently achieved independence, some of which are far less dependent on outside economic aid than Papua and New Guinea is likely to be, have not found it practicable financially to establish a full diplomatic service and have only appointed representatives at the United Nations and a very few other countries with which they have particular association. For example the only African diplomatic mission in Canberra, apart from the United Arab Republic and South Africa, is one recently appointed from Ghana. For these limited requirements it is understood that the countries concerned have found their representatives from among their ordinary public servants or political figures. It is questionable whether an assumption should now be made that, if and when the Territory becomes fully independent, it will wish to direct its resources towards a full diplomatic service.
5. Apart from these policy issues it seems necessary to place any proposal for such training in a framework of considered priorities related to the real needs of the Territory. I attach a note setting out a list of priority activities in which training is in progress or is required.2 Many of these arise directly from the World Bank Mission recommendations for the development of the Territory and, as such, seem to rate a higher priority than diplomatic training. A diplomatic training course would be likely to attract some of the more able and enterprising students from training courses which may seem more mundane to students but for which the need is more urgent.
6. For these reasons the Department’s preliminary view is that it would not be appropriate to establish a diplomatic training course at the present stage. I should be glad to know whether you would wish the matter to be placed before the Minister for a decision in principle and, if so, whether there are any further points you would like to have drawn to the Minister’s attention.
[NAA: A452, 1966/3850]
1 Document 55. Cleland had written twice after his original memorandum of 2 August, requesting a prompt response to his proposal. He noted both that there were ‘indications of rising interest in the subject by some M.H.A.’s as well as by some members of student bodies’ (memorandum, Administration (Cleland) to DOT, 30 August 1966, NAA: A452, 1966/3850) and that a training scheme involved ‘a considerable amount of detailed preliminary work and forward planning’ (memorandum, Administration (Cleland) to DOT, 22 September 1966, ibid.)
2 A lengthy list which outlined, inter alia, training requirements for the Administrative College and the University of Papua and New Guinea (UPNG); for teachers and medical staff; for veterinary, agricultural, fisheries and forestry officers; and for indigenous workers in aviation, statutory authorities and land titles work. Areas in which training had started and was ongoing included, among others, manpower management, farmer training and co-operatives.