UN General Assembly
1976

149. The world has shrunk, but the nations of the world have not come closer together. Paradoxically, nationalism has been on the rise at the precise time when the most serious issues we all face can only be resolved through a recognition of our interdependence. 150. Fragmentation has affected even this body. Nations have taken decisions on a bloc or regional basis, or by rigid ideologies, before even listening to the debate in these halls; on many issues positions have been predetermined by prior conferences containing more than half the membership of the United Nations. The tendency is widespread to come here for battle, rather than negotiation. If these trends continue, the hope for world community will dissipate and the moral influence of this Organization will progressively diminish.