UN General Assembly
1981

growth of developing countries would generate significant increases in the developed world. Secondly, the sustained development efforts by the developing countries prevented serious recession and widespread unemployment in the industrialized countries. In our view, this is the operational meaning of interdependence. 22. Yet the continued depressed condition of the world economy is not necessarily inevitable. Policy choices in key areas fall within the political range of international decision-making. For this reason we look forward with cautious optimism to the informal exchange of views at the International Meeting on Cooperation and Development, to be held next month. It may and could provide the needed political will to launch the long-delayed global round of negotiations at this session of the Assembly. 23. Having dealt with those two paramount issues, I turn now to problems of a regional character.