UN General Assembly
1985

Once again we must admit that the theoretical priority attached to the problems of the least developed countries has not by any meant resulted in sufficient efforts by the international community. The situation of the least developed countries five years after the launching of the Substantial New Program of Action for the 1980s gives rise to the most serious concern, because for the most part per capita income has fallen considerably and the average growth of national income has been 0.7 per cent during the first three years of the Program. The decisions taken by certain donor countries have not been able to alleviate the specific difficulties of the least developed countries. Essential action still remains to be taken to implement an effective program of sufficient scope to enable those countries to acquire the basic Infrastructures, which they now lack, finance their agricultural and industrial development, promote education and the technical training of their peoples, and reduce their excessive vulnerability to external fluctuations and to problems inherent in the structure of their internal production.