UN General Assembly
1980

28. The Organization must set itself the highest standards of good management and economy. Here, obviously much depends on individuals. The United Nations is fortunate to have in its Secretary General someone who justly enjoys the respect of all Members and who in his tenure of office has set the highest standards. We must ensure that efficiency, competence and integrity remain the prime considerations in every appointment to the Secretariat. We must exercise restraint over the proliferation of meetings, which often only consume money and effort with no hope of practical results. We must make the best use of the institutions we have. And, at a time of worldwide economic difficulty, we must eliminate wasteful expenditure and curb the constant expansion of the Organization's budget. If new programmes are to be set up, we must find room for them by first identifying and then bringing to an end other programmes which are now obsolete or of little value.