UN General Assembly
1999

Allow me now to turn to economic and social development. We can all agree that over the years the United Nations has been most successful in that area. The United Nations system has devoted more attention and resources to development than to any other international assistance effort. Although these non-political activities have received less attention than efforts in the field of peacekeeping and diplomacy, they are no less important. Many countries, including mine, have benefited from United Nations assistance. We believe, however, that it is time to start to pay back. Providing development and humanitarian assistance is a logical and moral consequence of our membership of the international community. It should be the goal of every country. In this regard, I would like to observe that most United Nations activities, whether in the field of peacekeeping or economic assistance, almost invariably become permanent. Permanence, however, is not a sign of success; it is a sign of failure. The United Nations should therefore concentrate more on preventive actions and on implementing well-planned, well-targeted and timely