Matter8 as abhorrent a8 oboeseion with military security and the ensuing arm8 race distort priorities and place economic and social progress in a secondary role, thus reinforcing feeling8 of general insecurity and perpetuating difference8 betweea tbo8e who have traditionally enjoyed well-being and progress and those who wallow in poverty and destitution. bHG/PLJ SjPV.2943 56 (Mr.) The efforts undertaken by Colombia to obtain the support of the Organisation for initiatives to control the illegal weapons trade are well known. Although we are receiving more favourable responsea , we have not yet achieved the consensus on our initiative that would give it validity and strength. We cannot understand why there is such insistence on wasting enormous amounts of resources and weapons which merely represent terror and devastation. The horrors of war, with its wake of suffering and destruction, cannot find justification in our times. The world still remembers the horrible military experiences of the last 50 years; the wounds have not yet healed and the results were not worth so much pain and devastation. We wish, above all, to appeal for peace and reflection. We wish to insist on the urgent need to exhaust all the recourses to dialogue and to explore all the possible avenues of diplomacy and understanding, convinced aa we are that any military confrontation would be a tragedy which we would regret for the rest of our lives. On behalf of the people and Government of Colombia, I make an urgent appeal to all leaders and rulers who hold in their hands the crucial decisiona at this moment l We cannot resign ourselves to thinking that the only solution to the problems of the Persian Gulf Can be found in a war in which innocent lives would be sacrificed and wounds would be opened which would take years to heal. 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech or statement from a government official, likely the President of Colombia, addressing the issue of war and military security in the context of the Persian Gulf crisis. The language used is diplomatic and emphasizes the need for peaceful solutions, highlighting the humanitarian and economic costs of war. The text does not focus on specific economic development policies or programs, but rather on the broader implications of war on human well-being and global stability.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, International trade