UN General Assembly
1963

32. It is a matter of bringing the benefits of modern civilization to a world most of whose inhabitants do not get enough to eat. The fight against under-development is warranted not only on moral grounds but also by a clear and realistic assessment of future economic prospects. Any widening of the existing gap between the world's two component groups of nations would lead only to strangulation in the long run. Western Europe and the developed countries with planned economies are on the way to attaining the level of industrialization already reached by the United States of America. At the end of this evolutionary process, the logical expectation is that needs will be to some extent saturated and expansion will have lost its momentum. It would be deplorable if these rich countries were then to retire into strict protectionism at a time when the capital development of the underdeveloped nations offered them vast opportunities for investments beneficial to all. We all look forward to the day when all Member States will accept an international solidarity tax so as to make systematic provision for the aid which some countries need in order to take their place in a balanced world economy.