UN General Assembly
1979

72. On the part of Sri Lanka there is no hesitation about what choice should be made. We should like to see the entire membership of this Organization enter that session with a prior commitment to action. We should like that session to be the occasion for negotiation on broad lines, not for mere debates. And we should like to see that session end with the acceptance of a concrete programme of action which would then go to bodies such as UNCTAD for implementation. 73. Will the international community accept this challenge? Or will special interests once again deprive the disadvantaged peoples of the world of their right to human dignity? If this is not achieved, we face the danger not only of a deepening economic crisis, but also of political explosion. To ward off this danger and to guarantee permanent peace is the responsibility of the political leadership of our times. We must make some constructive progress towards meeting the minimum economic needs of the underprivileged peoples. This is a duty and an obligation we owe to history.