The New International Economic Order and Christian Charity

The Catholic Lawyer, Aug 2017

By Lilia R. Bautista, Published on 08/29/17

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The New International Economic Order and Christian Charity

The N ew International Economic Order and Christian Charity Lilia R. Bautista Economics Commons Follow this and additional works at; https; //scholarship; law; stjohns; edu/tcl - LIUA R. BAUTISTA* On May 1, 1974, the General Assembly of the United Nations in its Sixth Special Session adopted two major resolutions, the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order' and the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order. The first document sets forth certain economic rights and responsibilities of all states, while the second outlines specific programs for meeting these rights and responsibilities. The quest for a new international economic order arises from certain elements of the relations between the developing and developed countries that the former find particularly burdensome such as: 1) the division of the world into exporters of primary products and exporters of manufactured goods; * 2) the unfavorable terms of trade for the products of the developing countries; 3) the one-sided dependence of the developing countries on the developed countries for finance; 4) the one-sided dependence of the developing countries on the developed countries for technology; and, 5) the dependence of most developing countries on the developed countries for their engine of growth through the need to obtain access to external markets, as well as receive direct foreign investment the bulk of it through transnational corporations.' Thus, the new international economic order is declared to be based * Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Republic of the Philippines. G.A. Res. 3201, U.N. GAOR, Supp. (No. 1) (6th spec. sess.), U.N. Doc. A/9659 (1974). 2 UNIDO, INDUSTRY 2000 NEW PERSPECTIVE (Sept. 1979). "on equity, sovereign equality, interdependence, common interest and cooperation among all states, irrespective of their economic and social systems which shall correct inequalities and redress existing injustices, making it possible to eliminate the widening gap between the developed and developing countries and ensure steadily accelerating economic and social development and peace and justice for present and future generations." No doubt, it is conceded that there is a widening gap between the developed and developing countries that needs to be bridged. The developing countries, which constitute seventy percent of the world's population account for only thirty percent of the world's income. The political, economic, and social well-being of present and future generations depends more than ever on cooperation between all the members of the international community .as the basis of sovereign equality and removal of the disequilibrium that exists between them. The new international economic order is founded on full respect for the following principles: 1) Sovereign equality of States, self-determination of all peoples, inadmissibility of the acquisition of territories by force, territorial integrity and noninterference in the internal affairs of other States; 2) The broadest cooperation of all the States members of the international community, based on equity, whereby the prevailing disparities in the world may be banished and prosperity secured for all; 3) Full and effective participation on the basis of equality of all countries in the solving of world economic problems in the common interest of all countries, bearing in mind the necessity to ensure the accelerated development of all the developing countries, while devoting particular attention to the adoption of special measures in favour of the least developed, land-locked and island developing countries as well as those developing countries most seriously affected by economic crises and natural calamities without losing sight of the interests of other developing countries; 4) The right of every country to adopt the economic and social system that it deems the most appropriate for its own development and not to be subjected to discrimination of any kind as a result; 5) Full permanent sovereignty of every State over its natural resources and all economic activities. In order to safeguard these resources, each State is entitled to exercise effective control over them and their exploitation with means suitable to its own situation, including the right to nationalization or transfer of ownership to its nationals, this right being an expression of the full permanent sovereignty of the State. No State may be subjected to economic, political or any other type of coercion to prevent the free and full exercise of this inalienable right; 6) The right of all States, territories and peoples under foreign occupation, alien and colonial domination or apartheid to restitution and full compensation for the exploitation and depletion of, and damages to, the natural resources and all other resources of those States, territories and peoples; 7) Regulation and supervision of the activities of transnational corporations by t (...truncated)


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Lilia R. Bautista. The New International Economic Order and Christian Charity, The Catholic Lawyer, 2017, Volume 25, Issue 2,