UN General Assembly
1990

None the less, some encouraging signs can be seen in this hazy panorama. Creditor countries, for instance, have accepted shared responsibility and have recognised that the debt is not merely a financial problem, but also a political one. The issue of foreign debt weighs heavily on many developing countries. Uruguay, in spite of having unfailingly paid its obligations, is no exception. The world requires a change of attitude on the part of the industrialised countries towards the prevailing international economic order. They hold the key to trade, technology and investments, and consequently it is they who are in a position to facilitate a more equitable incorporation of the developing countries into the world economic system. We are not asking for favours. Developing countries are not a group of beggars; nor do we ask for charity. What we do request is the opening of markets to our products, fair prices, technological co-operation and investment on fair terms.