UN General Assembly
1982

The charges levelled by the countries of the South in this respect were accurate and far-sighted. In proposing a new order, we sought a profound institutional reform capable of rechanneling international economic relations. We should have liked to avoid the tremendous deterioration of recent years and to have eased the crisis. But it is never too late. Throughout history, major transformations usually occurred when there was no other course to take, which accounts for the distance that separates prophets from revolutionaries. Major ills call for major remedies. International economic relations should be reviewed judiciously and with a sense of commitment. Let us not look for culprits but, rather, find people who will take responsibility for the future. The tracing of the ultimate cause of our ills is a task for historians and research workers, not for political leaders. The assumption of that immense task of political and economic integration requires a change in attitude. Until now ideological Manichaeism, which nurtures the hegemony of the great Powers, has prevailed.