UN General Assembly
1998

globalization. We must face its challenges and address its negative aspects, while maximizing its benefits. A number of developing countries have successfully dealt with globalization and achieved their necessary integration into the world economy. At the same time, many developed countries have adopted covert protectionist measures and new conditionalities, such as environmental and labour standards, and continue to maintain tariff barriers against the primary exports of the developing countries. These measures run counter to the equitable bases of the world trading system. This is an important issue which we must address in the context of evaluating past achievements and challenges, and of shaping a new international order. These are the questions which Egypt wished to put before this session as a modest contribution to shaping a common vision that would inspire the march of humanity in the coming decades, during which we hope that justice, equality, progress and prosperity will prevail.