The international discussion about a new world economic order, which has been going on for many years now, has been complicated by the absence of clear and generally accepted ideas about the main features of such a concept. The word “order” itself has a wide variety of different meanings (e.g., natural versus imposed order) and in some quarters the mere terminology of “NIEO” has provoked opposition. Thus confusion, and sometimes suspicion, have contributed to hampering rational analysis and conclusions.