UN General Assembly
1989

The economic situation of developing countries is particularly disturbing. They are still suffering from backwardness, external debt, inequality in international trade and various kinds of protectionist and other unlawful measures used by the strong against the weak. The present system of international economic relations does not meet the interests of the overwhelming majority of States and is undemocratic. The growing economic interdependence of States and the internationalisation of economic life has set the stage for the development of co-operation and healthier international economic relations. These goals have been advanced by the production, at the United Nations, of the idea of international economic security, aimed at achieving an equitable, generally advantageous and generally acceptable state of the world economy and international economic relations and at creating conditions for peaceful coexistence and co-operation among all States, regardless of their level of development or of their socio-economic system.