UN General Assembly
1988

The Twelve believe that the Secretary-General, in implementing the part of the reform that was entrusted to him, has performed his duties with flexibility and political judgement. The matter is now at the hands of Member States, which must show the same kind of political perspicacity and determination. In this respect we cannot fail to note with regret that the Special Commission undertaking the in-depth study of the United Nations intergovernmental structure and functions in the economic and social fields has not been able, so far, to achieve concrete results. Concerted action during the summer session of the Economic and Social Council led to a consensus resolution concerning the rationalization of the work of the Council. However, no considerable progress was made on other issues. Our commitment to reforms remains strong, and we consider the reform of the Economic and Social Council to be another significant part of this exercise. We expect that other Member States will not lack the political will to engage in fruitful consultations with a view to reaching a substantive reform that would undoubtedly enhance the ability of our Organization to deal effectively with the current economic and social problems.