There was also talk of building partnerships between developed and underdeveloped societies as a way of improving the latter's chances of development. A case in point is the Euro-African dialogue which, though it can be considered a qualitative criterion, is only partial and does not touch on the core of the issue. There was much talk at the summit about education, and intensifying its expansion worldwide, taking advantage of the information revolution. There was also much talk about raising health standards and halting and reversing the spread of certain diseases like AIDS and malaria. The summit has recommended that a special effort be devoted to improving the lot of children, the custodians of the future.
Present technology can bring about an age of plenty, but can also backfire.
Scientific discoveries need not always produce positive results, but can also have negative effects that cannot be foreseen. For example, no one knows for sure what the long-term effects of genetically modified food might be. In the context of globalisation, the barriers which once kept rich societies comfortably separated and aloof from poor societies have fallen, and the two are now inextricably bound together in what has rightfully come to be called a global village. In other words, welfare can no longer be limited to a privileged few, but will have to be generalised throughout the world. However, balanced and equitable development will not come about as long as the profit motive continues to dominate.