UN General Assembly
1991

Many voices have proclaimed a new world order. Few, however, have defined it. For the delegation of Barbados, that definition must go beyond purely military or political concepts. In the past few years we have witnessed dramatic progress towards the universal attainment of human freedom. But freedom cannot translate into lasting peace in a world where hundreds of millions still live in utter poverty and deprivation, and where 23 per cent of the world's population enjoys 85 per cent of the world's wealth. A new world order must be based on social justice and afford all people the opportunity to benefit from the development of the resources of this planet. Unfortunately, there is little evidence of any real prospect of enlightened action in this regard. On the contrary, the gap between North and South continues to grow.