UN General Assembly
1980

31. But this system also needs to be reformed—and that is my second point. By the time the various groups have reached internal agreement, positions are hardening and further bargaining becomes more difficult. Flexibility becomes the victim of internal consensus. Greater interplay between the various groups is therefore necessary before final positions are taken. This interplay is important also during the preparatory stage. The experience gained during the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea should not be lost on us. Substantive progress on main issues was made possible through extensive inter-sessional contacts between groups and delegations at a high level.