UN General Assembly
1996

the common interests of small and, especially, new States. We are pleased to note that apart from the trend towards institutionalizing regional development and functional cooperation, we are entering an era in which States are increasing their level of cooperation, through multilateral diplomacy, on basic development questions, such as: the environment; developing the laws of the sea; enforcing international humanitarian law; protecting human and minority rights; protecting the rights of women and children; promoting disarmament and non-proliferation; and sharing knowledge and resources to help the development of the Third World. We are, therefore, passing over old ideologies, religious or regional affiliation and loyalties. One area in which Croatia will be especially active is the establishment of the international criminal court. We will be one of the sponsors of a draft resolution calling for the timely establishment of this institution. The world we live in is entering a stage of national individualization but also of ever-closer functional cooperation between States in creating a stable and interdependent new order. Croatia, as a young State that