UN General Assembly
1993

is what we must combat, with all the resources at our disposal. For the politics and economics of exclusivity are the bane of both pragmatism and idealism. Is the triple pillar of democracy, human rights and the free market the ceiling of our ambition? Democracy and free market economics are exceptionally successful systems with noble objectives. But they are not ends in themselves. The end for which we all strive is greater peace and greater justice for individual human beings across the world. How is this to be achieved? One of our strongest defences against a new world of "each for himself" would be a new global business ethic, applying not only among the developed nations, but also 4 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session between those nations and the developing countries. Such an ethic might prescribe a relationship of partnership which would in turn encourage greater self-reliance. Such an ethic would be wholly reconcilable with human rights, with pluralism, with care for the environment and with basic religious values. I would like to suggest that the key to a