UN General Assembly
1970

129. A problem which increasingly affects the lives of men is that of the human environment. We are now seeing an unprecedented population explosion. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have further complicated the problems created by this phenomenon. The exhaustion of natural resources and the pollution of our air and water are affecting the balance of nature. These are highly complex matters which ought to be dealt with on a global scale. The United Nations offers one of the best forums in which such an undertaking can be pursued. We welcome the work done by the Preparatory Committee of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. My country is actively engaged in these matters and will deem it a duty to contribute to the success of the 1972 conference and to the efforts of the United Nations in this field.