UN General Assembly
1998

ran close to $3 billion, has actively tried to strike a balance in its aid policy between the economy, the environment and the people. We are pursuing development that is sustainable — sustainable not purely in terms of ecology but in a wider sense: development that addresses basic human needs, that respects human rights, that builds human capacities, that is socially responsible and that does not mortgage the choices of future generations. For many years, my country has been more than faithful to the international target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for development. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average hovers around 0.25 per cent. The Netherlands stands at a self- imposed 0.8 per cent. In percentage terms, it takes third place among the major donors. In absolute terms, in money spent, it has made us the sixth largest donor country worldwide for 1997. All in all, $750 million from Dutch resources flowed to the United Nations system and to the Bretton Woods institutions in 1997. The new Netherlands Government is a