UN General Assembly
1993

prosperity. We are now engaged in the task of building a new future based on our culture, tradition and availability of resources. For us, it is a matter of pride and satisfaction that our people’s love for freedom has found concrete shape in the establishment of democracy. We want to emphasize human creativity and human capacity to toil. The much-talked-about new concept of a "human development index" does not seem to be adequate: we feel that it must capture the indigenous culture and values of differing civilizations. We believe that a new dimension will be added to the overall development framework of the less developed countries if this proposal is accepted. Our prime objective is to build a prosperous society and economy by consolidating national independence, sovereignty, human rights and democracy. This calls for guaranteeing the security of small States like ours. As we work on new equations in international relations, the United Nations must take effective measures to ensure the security of small States. The hopes and aspirations of millions of