UN General Assembly
1986

There are years in the history of the United Nations that cannot be passed over in silence. The 12 months that have just elapsed were one such period, so filled were they with events of great political significance. The fortieth anniversary of the United Nations, which we commemorated here last year, provided an opportunity to reaffirm our faith in and devotion to the purposes and principles of the Charter and thus to renew the commitment of our peoples to greater co-operation in bringing about a better world. Despite differences in our ideological preferences, social and political systems, cultural traditions and levels of economic development, we are aware that our civilizations are complementary and that there is a need for solidarity among all mankind as we face the many challenges threatening mankind and its environment, and the despair, pessimism and anguish aroused by the proliferation and persistence of pockets of tension, the exacerbation of conflicts, intolerance and blind violence, and the ever-increasing imbalance in political said economic relations among nations.