33. The commission had gained 36 years of experience, and it was time for it to make greater headway in its work and adapt itself to the requi~ements of the present-day world by laying more emphasis on questions such as the maintenance of peace, the development of friendly relations amana States and the establishment of equitable and reasonable international economic relations, so that every aspect of international relations had a solid legal basis. In 1949 and 1971, the Secretary-General of the United Nations had carried out surveys of international law which had proved to be extremely useful in helping the commission to understand the needs of the time and give the appropriate direction to its work. On the eve of the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations, his delegation· proposed to invite the Secretary-General to update those surveys so that the Commission would be correctly guided and able to realize its full potential. 34. It would also be desirable for the Commission to improve its working methods. The observations to which those methods had aiven rise in recent years within the Plannina Group of the Enlaroed Bureau of the commission had been useful and it was now important for the Commission to establish a carefully considered short-term, medium-term and long-term work plan. Thus far, the results of the Commission's work had been laroely confined to conventions, and his deleoation did not dispute the merit of that approach. However, given the complexity of some of the topics studied by the Commission and the differences of opinion in that reoard which had prevented the adoption of conventions, it might at times be useful to consider other types of instrument: model law, body of principles, declaration, handbook, etc. Such instruments would be immediately useful and would not prevent the subsequent adoption of conventions once conditions were sufficiently ripe. 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the work of the United Nations Commission and its need to adapt to the changing world by focusing on international relations, peace, and economic development. It also touches on the importance of improving the Commission's working methods and considering alternative types of instruments for achieving its goals.

**Category**
International trade, International relations