UN General Assembly
1988

We regret to see the divisions between North and South. Overcoming those divisions should be the major task of the international community. We know that every country has its own special circumstances as well as different priorities in the implementation of development policies. Many developing countries have a valuable accumulation of experience in the development process, which they can usefully share among themselves. In that respect, the middle-income countries deserve special attention. In our view, those countries are in a position to play a much more helpful role in contributing to the development process of others. Since the beginning of this decade 'fur key has been in the process .of implementing measures of economic reform. This new course of action has meant a radical departure from previous economic policies away from inward-looking approaches g import substitution and excessive State intervention towards a greater play of market forces and increased liberalization of the economy. Despite the difficulties and costs inherent in such programmes, the outcome of this new policy orientation has been highly encouraging.