Collective Self-Reliance
While we must pursue the negotiations with the developed countries in the hope that wiser counsels will prevail eventually, the developing countries must continue to work for collective self-reliance. They have recognised the need for promoting cooperation amongst themselves and the success of the oil-exporting countries has opened up new possibilities for pooling the financial material and human resources of the developing countries on a significant scale.
The non-aligned movement has played an increasingly important role in focusing attention on the economic issues and in fostering collective efforts for mutual co-operation. The recent Colombo Summit has given a concrete shape to these ideals in the form of an "Action Programme" for economic co-operation among developing countries. What is necessary now is to advance from declarations to action.
You may have noticed that I have refrained from talking of the so-called "Third World". This is because we believe that our world is too small to be divided further. In this age, when the futurists are talking of "spaceship earth", it is no longer relevant to talk of the so-called "First World", "Second World" or the "Third World". The very basis of the demand for an international economic order is the realisation that peace and prosperity of the world are indivisible. In fact, this has been our consistent stand at various international forums.
What we need is not a further and arbitrary division of the one world, but a deeper understanding of our inter-dependence. Then only can we progress towards evolving a world order based on equality and justice.
