UN General Assembly
1952

103. The odd thing is that while nobody has denied the conclusions arrived at by the different organs of the United Nations, the achievements, on one pretext or another, are still, as Professor Myrdal says, of a homeopathic character. At the sixth session of the General Assembly, in the Second Committee, I gave the whole problem a thorough study, on behalf of my country, and considered what international collaboration was doing to solve if, I am not going to repeat the figures. I shall merely state that between technical and financial assistance, the nations, acting in concert both within the framework of the United Nations and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and outside, and including ordinary budgets and direct assistance, have devoted not more than $1,000 million per annum to the solution of what the United Nations has officially, through its Secretary-General, called the most important long-term individual problem besetting the world and the United Nations. This is less than 1 per cent of what the world is spending on armaments, and 25 per cent of the foreign trade deficit of the under-developed countries. This year, the prospects are no better, for even the modest but effective United Nations programme of technical assistance will have fewer funds available than last year, since some countries have decreased their contributions.