growth, of particular concern to us is the enormous socio-economic burden created by the large presence of refugees and displaced persons within our borders. Belize has frequently been described as the land of opportunity and has become the refuge for more than 20,000 Central Americans escaping regional conflicts and political uncertainty. Belize, with a population of approximately 185,000, consequently now has one of the largest per capita presences of refugees. Our Government provides generous conditions of asylum and not only approaches the problem from a humanitarian perspective but, in assimilating refugees into the greater Belizean society, addresses the problem from the standpoint of an economic development concern. Several projects, totalling $9.9 million, have been identified to provide basic facilities for Belizeans and refugees living side by side. Education and skills-training , health and other social services, sanitation, food, housing and water all have to be provided at great cost but are critical in maintaining the quality of life enabling us to develop human resources to participate fully in the nation-building process. BCT/bg A/S-18/PV.9 47 (Mr. Rogers, Belize ) We issue an appeal here to those countries in a position to do so to pledge support to the specialized agencies such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to facilitate their efforts, in oo-operation with our Governments, in alleviating the human suffering of refugees throughout the globe. These are indeed challenging times. The convening of this special session has afforded us a unique opportunity not for negotiation but for dialogue on mutual concerns critical to the survival and welfare of most of the world's population. It is my delegation's hope that the essential principles agreed upon during the 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the socio-economic burden of hosting refugees and displaced persons, highlighting the challenges in providing basic facilities and services. It also emphasizes the need for international support to alleviate human suffering. Given the focus on refugees, asylum, and humanitarian aid, it is likely that the text belongs to the category related to humanitarian aid and relief.

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