E/CN.4/2002/24/Add.1 page 16 and sugar). However, the human and material resources allocated to the hospital still fall short of the needs of the inhabitants of the region. For example, the hospital does not have a full-time surgeon; a surgeon has to come once a week from the mainland. In addition, the cultural approach introduced at the hospital is not understood or supported by the federal or Queensland authorities. (c) The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation 32. The Corporation was set up by the Government to incorporate Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in the national economy and remove them from the social welfare system on which they are still heavily dependent. The Corporation contributes to the creation of joint ventures or businesses managed exclusively by Aboriginals or Islanders in various sectors of activity; it has shares in various enterprises and has, for instance, entered the insurance sector recently. It invests in ecotourism, supporting initiatives relating to accommodation and tours in the parks belonging to Aboriginals, agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and mining. The Corporation, which was set up with subsidies amounting to $A 40 million, is today independent. It has made a profit of $A 2 million, which has been used to pay for scholarships for Aboriginal and Islander students and for the creation of small businesses. The Corporation pays no taxes on its profits. It is managed by a board of nine members appointed by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs; six members must be Aboriginals or Islanders, including its Chairman and his deputy. It owns a building which was purchased thanks to a loan of $A 30 million from Japan. (d) The Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies 33. This is a research organization set up to undertake studies into the history, culture and rights of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, and also their economic and social conditions. Its approach is distinct from the academic approach - which is often biased and leads to no improvement in the living conditions of the Aboriginals and Islanders - and adopts an Aboriginal and Islander perspective with the aim of meeting the needs of these peoples. It provides the necessary expertise to ATSIC for the design and execution of its projects. It has an annual budget of $A 7 million, which enables it to undertake research, issue publications, organize seminars and conferences, grant scholarships, and equip and expand its library. The Institute is considered to be one of the most important in the world working on aboriginal societies. It possesses over 2 million photographs and documents which are more than 200 years old. D. The policy of multiculturalism 34. Programmes and institutions have also been established to promote good understanding between the various components of the Australian population. According to representatives of the federal Government, these programmes aim primarily at the harmonious integration of immigrants within Australian society and harmony between the various communities, stressing respect for ethnic diversity considered as an asset and not as an obstacle for the country and also respect for democratic values as the cement which bonds society together.