UN General Assembly
1972

171. In contrast to the attractive prices of the products of advanced countries which are progressively going through an upward adjustment, primary products, which sustain the economies of developing countries, are constantly suffering a catastrophic plunge. It should be obvious to the international community that, given the fluctuations in the prices of primary products, the prospect of the developing world earning enough to meet its foreign exchange and investment needs is very, very slim. Yet since the advanced countries continue to be dependent on primary products to feed their growing industries, it is to the mutual advantage of both parties to come to an early agreement on a system of stabilization of commodity prices on the implicit understanding that such an encouraging booster to the production of primary products will, by the same token, assure the continued success of the dependent industries in the advanced countries.