UN General Assembly
1969

years. If that measure is to serve the purpose of assisting countries faced with chronic balance-of-payment difficulties the special drawing rights should not be considered a mere addition to the wealth of all countries. Treated as such, the arrangement would only have the effect of making the rich richer and the poor slightly less poor, but the relative positions of the developed and developing countries would remain unaltered. This epoch-making arrangement can, however, have the effect of stimulating international trade and economic growth within the developing sectors of the world if there is a commitment and a willingness on the part of the developed nations to use their share of the special drawing rights to augment their contribution to programmes of economic development in developing countries by releasing a portion of their special drawing rights or its equivalent in national currencies, depending on the mechanics of the operation, for the purpose of multilateral economic aid to developing countries through institutions such as the International Development Association. 164. Over the last two years the question of the reservation