MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Two Falklands Councillors to Attend Committee of 24.

Two Falklands Councillors, Richard Cockwell and Sharon Halford are due to attend the Committee of twenty-four in New York on 11 July.

They will reiterate and attempt to persuade those present that Falkland Islanders have the right to self-determination and the right to determine how they wish to be governed. From New York they will fly to London to take part in the Falkland Islands Forum on the future economic diversification of the Falkland Islands and the opportunities for investment, in areas as diverse as oil and mineral exploration, commercial fishing and agriculture.

John Battle MP, Minister of State with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will give the keynote speech, a Political and Economic Overview of the Islands, followed by presentations from Falkland Islands Councillors and Government officials.

Other councillors who will attend the forum are Lewis Clifton, Jan Cheek and possibly Bill Luxton. On the 13 July councillors will meet Peter Westmacott's replacement as Director for the Americas, Dick Wilkinson.

First Open Meeting On 3rd July.

From 1 July this year meetings of most Government committees will be open to the press and public.

The public will have a right to know when and where a committee is and the agenda. Notices of each week's committees will be announced on FIBS and published in the Penguin News, and agendas and committee reports will usually be available three clear days in advance. Although the public can attend, they cannot speak or ask questions. A committee agenda may also include some "exempt" items, where open discussion would be detrimental to the public interest ? for instance, where and individual's circumstances or contractual information are being discussed. These items are strictly limited, and officers have to justify a report being "exempt" against certain criteria in the Ordinance and the press and public will not be allowed to stay during discussion of these items, nor will the reports be open to inspection. Minutes of meetings, except for exempt items, will also be open for inspection in the Secretariat, and in the individual department concerned. Executive Council will not be open to the public, as it is subject to different legislation. However consideration will be given after each ExCo to releasing individual reports for public inspection