UN General Assembly
1969

flouting our sensibilities today. Indeed, they might not have survived. 157. A decade has elapsed since the Declaration on decolonization was adopted. Declarations of intent become a mockery unless brought to fruition. The time has come for the United Nations to live up to its intentions and exercise its responsibilities. The hopes attached to this Organization by the weak and oppressed should not be frustrated, moreover, the words we speak here and the work we do here must not be in vain. The United Nations must adopt the measures provided for in the Charter to put an end to this anomalous situation in southern Africa. 158. The evolution of the United Nations has lagged behind the rapid and unprecedented global changes which have occurred in the past quarter of a century. The distance separating this Organization from its greater environment constitutes a weakness which, in great part, prevents the elimination of unparalleled world tension. Moreover, fresh and constructive approaches are necessary if we are to lay the foundations for peace and security.