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160 General Assembly-Twcnty-ninth

technology will be able la shape a better future free from the threat of nuclear war and based upon a sharing of technology and resources on a global scale, so that men everywhere can begin to enjoy the minimal conditions of a decent life. 8. The great economic upheavals that have recently shaken the entire world should generate a sense of urgency for building a just international economic order. The sixth special session of the General Assembly earlier this year took note of the grave implications of the present international economic situation. Speaking for a country which heads the list of those described as being most severely affected by the current economic situation, I can only underline how grievous those effects are. Bangladesh, which was born on the ruins of a devastating war, has, ever since liberation, been plagued by a series of natural disasters. the latest one being the unprecedented tloods we have experienced this year. We are grateful to the United Nations and its agencies and to the Secretary-General for their active interest in helping Bangladesh to meet the situation. President Bournediene and Foreign Minister Boutetlika of Algeria have appealed to the nonaligned countries to come forward la help Bangladesh, Friendly countries and humanitarian organizations all over the world have been responding positively, These natural calamities not only have impeded the march of Bangladesh towards economic progress, but have also left the country in a state of near-famine conditions, At the same time global inflation has meant, for a country such as ours, a balance-of-payments gap in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars. Translated into terms of human suffering, this means that people with a meagre annual per capita income of less than $100 are now faced with the prospect of a severe reduction in even their current subsistence level of living. People who are consuming less than the minimum considered by WHO to be necessary for mere survival now face starvation. The forecast Jar the future of the poorer countries is even more gloomy. Food grains, of which the developed industrial nations are the main exporters, are gradually getting out of the reach of the poorer countries as a result of steadily increasing prices, Efforts to attain self-sufficiency in food production are also being severely affected because of rising costs and the growing scarcity of vital agricultural inputs, Side by side with this, as a result of the global inflation which not only has' increased by many times the cost of development projects but has also adversely reduced their ability to mobilize their own resources, countries already faced with grinding poverty and massive unemployment arc threatened with dire possibilities of cutbacks in their modest development plans envisaging growth rates of 5 to 6 per cent per annum.

9. Unless the nations of the world can concert their action to meet this situation, human misery will be aggravated on a scale unknown in history. Indeed, there would be no recorded parallel of such human misery having to be endured by so many side by side with such unprecedented levels of affluence and prosperity enjoyed by so few. Only a regeneration of the feeling of human solidarity and brotherhood and an acknowledgement of interdependence can

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bring about a rational solution and the urgent action needed to avoid this catastrophe. 10. No greater challenge has been faced by the United Nations than that of marshalling the forces of reason to bring about ajust international economic order. That order not only must ensure the saver. eignty of each State over its natural resources, but also should seek to establish a framework of international co-operation based upon recognition of the overriding common interes t of the countries of the world in a stable and just economic system. This is the moment when we must reaffirm in unequivocal terms that there is an international responsibility to ensure that everyone everywhere should enjoy the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality, as guaranteed to him by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This responsibility, according to the Universal Declaration, should extend to ensuring to everyone the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family.

11. We are fully conscious that the current economic crisis can be dealt with only in an environment of peace, international amity and understanding. In this context, urgent measures to control the present arms race assume special importance not only for the creation of such an environment but also for releasing for the common good of mankind the massive resources currently being wasted on armaments. 12. Bangladesh, from its very inception, has adopted a non-aligned foreign policy based upon the principles of peaceful coexistence and of friendship towards all. Our total commitment to peace is born of the realization that only an environment of peace would enable us to enjoy the froits of our hard-won national independence and. to mobilize and concentrate all our energies and resources in combating the scourges of poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and unemployment.

13. We therefore welcome every effort aimed at advancing the process of detente, relaxation of tension, limitation of armaments and the promotion of peaceful coexistence in every part of the world, whether in Asia, Africa, Europe or Latin America. i In pursuance of this policy we have consistently i supported the concept ofa zone of peace in the In- : dian Ocean area, which has received the powerful' endorsement of this Assembly [resolution 2832: (XXVI)]. We have also supported the concept of I South-East Asia as a zone of peace, freedom and neutrality.

14. We believe that the nations of the emerging world assembled in the non-aligned conferences provide powerful support for the cause of peace. These nations have reaffirmed the common determination of the overwhelming majority of the people of the world to preserve national independence and to promote peace and justice. 15. Peace is an imperative for the survival of mankind; it represents the deepest aspirations of men and women throughout the world. Peace to endure must, however, be peace based upon justice.

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