UN General Assembly
1983

19. At its previous session, the General Assembly adopted the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, a major achievement of the Special Committee. Based on the urgency lent to the work of the Special Committee by the report of the Secretary-General, we were optimistic that further significant results would be forthcoming from that Committee. Unfortunately such has not been the case. The session of the Committee during this year has been a disappointing and disheartening one, despite the best efforts of its able Chairman, Mr. Nabil El-Araby of Egypt. We are gratified, of course, that discussion on a joint proposal by Romania and the Philippines on the establishment of a permanent United Nations commission for mediation, conciliation and good offices has begun, and we look forward to further elaboration of this proposal.