UN General Assembly
1992

world as a whole, there will be 100 million more in Africa? We are sometimes criticized for self-pity and for not making the efforts necessary to eliminate poverty in our countries. We are not immune to such criticism, but is it not true also that poverty will be eradicated only if the pace of economic growth is accelerated and if together we can solve the problems that are the underlying causes of underdevelopment? Give us the tools for action, quickly and under tolerable terms. In that context, I want to stress the urgency of reconsidering the question of our external debt; initiatives taken thus far have had no significant impact, despite the best intentions and despite a number of generous gestures made. We believe that initiatives must be reviewed and expanded to ensure the resumption of development and growth. To be complete, these initiatives must include additional resources, whether these come from official aid, the "peace dividend" or transfers in the form of investment. In that context, we hope an international conference on development