UN General Assembly
2002

respect to the initiatives of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are another clear demonstration of the game of the powerful, in which we see the big nations manipulating the world order to their own advantage. Those abominable policies affect the very boundaries of national sovereignty for the benefit of the developed countries. We must put an end to all this hypocrisy, if we, the small nations, are to be treated fairly and as equal partners in the international community. Vanuatu opposes discriminatory policies and legislation which expose our vulnerability to a very volatile global environment. Some of our national efforts to stimulate economic growth are being stifled by the enormous pressure exerted by the club of the rich, which does everything to ensure that their position prevails. Where does that leave us? I must stress this because Vanuatu has done its best to comply with the OECD initiatives, including through legislation to prevent money-laundering and to ensure transparency in financial transactions. Yet, that rich and influential organization continues to put forward