text: reminded the permanent members of the duties and obliga- tions that we owe to the United Nations as-a result of our tenure of that position. 318. If one has to express in a sentence. a’judgement on the Organization and on the Council thus far, it is a judge- ment that has been made in most of the statements this afternoon. It is that this is not simply a forum in which 15 separate nations express 15 separate national points of view. The same thought has recurred in many of the state- ments today. In the statement of the French representa- tive, the Council was described as a college whose members are prepared to search for common ground. Our Malagasy colleague reminded us of the spirit of co- operative consultation that should inspire us, and our Danish colleague reminded us of the need for us to speak with one voice. 319. This meeting surely demonstrates, more perhaps than some of us might have expected, the clear sense of collective purpose that should inspire us and that to a large extent does just that. 320. Of course, over the 40 years of its existence the Council, like every institution, has seen its role and style evolve, but it has not forgotten the objective of which our Indian colleague reminded us, in Article 24 of the Charter, where the Council is defined as the supreme mechanism for the maintenance of international peace and security. So it has remained and so it should remain, although the methods have changed and will change. 321. One thin;! that I think has happened over the years is that the Council has probably turned out to be an agent more of persuasion than of coercion; that our- functions, when we perform them at our best, have tended to move 
analysis: The text appears to be a speech or statement made by a representative of a country or organization, discussing the role and functions of the United Nations Security Council. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the Council's objective, which is the maintenance of international peace and security, and highlights the need for collective purpose and cooperation among its members. The text does not mention specific issues related to economic development, natural resources, or other topics, but rather focuses on the Council's role and functions.