UN General Assembly
1997

economy. In the post-UNCTAD-IX period, a major challenge before us is to maximize the developmental impact of this globalizing and liberalizing world economy. This can be achieved only by ensuring that the risk of marginalizing and even excluding weaker nations from participating actively in international trade and commerce is avoided at all costs. 16 When we met during the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly, held only four months ago, we all expressed our deep concern that, compared to 1992, the overall trend regarding sustainable development in developing countries is worse today. Poverty and environmental degradation continue to afflict the lives of millions of people in many parts of the world. The staggering statistics only underline the need to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to improve the lot of our disadvantaged peoples. In particular, they reaffirm that United Nations operational activities for development have a critical and unique role to play in enabling the developing countries to continue to lead the management of their own development process, and that the funds and programmes