UN General Assembly
1954

105. In United Nations discussions, particularly in the Economic and Social Council, we have noticed that the views of the majority of Member States regarding primary commodity prices seem to meet with considerable misunderstanding and a certain unwarranted resistance. It has been argued that an attempt is being made to establish controls over commodity trade so that parity systems or price mechanisms can be used to subsidize one group of nations at the expense of others. Nothing could be further from my country’s intentions. We advocate a change in international relations in this respect in order to solve a problem that affects all nations to a greater or lesser extent and has considerable bearing on the possibilities of the more rapid economic development of the under-developed countries. The justice we seek will be of benefit to all because the problems resulting from the instability of commodity markets affect all nations alike. Despite the resistance and lack of understanding, which we hope will weaken and disappear in the near future, we obtained majority support in the Economic and Social Council for the establishment of the Commission on International Commodity Trade. It is encouraging that we have been able to make this progress towards our goal, and we trust that all States will assist the Commission in dealing with the important problems before it. In this connexion, we welcome the constructive attitude of certain important countries which can contribute much to the solution of those problems.