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And herein lies the dilemma that we all face.

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Let me illustrate.

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Improved public health has caused the world's infant mortality rate to decline by 60% over the last 40 years.

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In the same period, the world's average life expectancy has increased from 46 years in 1950s to 63 years today.

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This is a development which, as individuals, we can only applaud.

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However, the result of these positive measures is a world population that has risen during the same short period of time geometrically to almost 6 billion people and could easily exceed 8 billion by the year 2020.

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The negative impact of population growth on all of our planetary ecosystems is becoming appallingly evident.

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In particular, the rapid growing exploitation of the world's supply of energy and water is a matter of deep concern.

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And the toxic byproducts of widespread industrialization have increased atmospheric pollution to dangerous levels.

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Unless nations will agree to work together to tackle these cross-border challenges posed by population growth, overconsumption of resources, and environmental degradation,

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the prospects for a decent life on our planet will be threatened.

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The recent UN meeting in Cairo is appropriately focused on one of these key issues, population growth.

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But the controversies which have erupted at the conference illustrate the problem of coming to grips with issues that are deeply divisive and which have a profound moral dimension.

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The United Nations can and should play an essential role in helping the world find a satisfactory way of stabilizing world population and stimulating economic development in a manner that is sensitive to religious and moral considerations.

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Economic growth is, of course, an inevitable corollary of a growing population and is essential to improve standards of living.

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But without careful coordination, unrestrained economic growth poses further threats to our environment.

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This was a major subject of discussion at the conference in Rio de Janeiro on the environment two years ago.

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The focus then was on sustainable growth and global development.

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It was pointed out at the conference that growth is most efficiently managed by the private sector.

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But regulation of the process by national governments and international bodies is also needed.

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And once again, the United Nations should certainly be among the catalysts and coordinators of this process.

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But in addition, given the importance of unencumbered international trade in stimulating and facilitating economic growth,

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some of the new economic entities such as the European Economic Community, NAFTA, APEC, and most importantly GATT,

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now known as the World Trade Organization, are probably best suited to play a major role in ensuring sustainable development.

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Thank you very much.