agenda for the 1990s. Commitments on standstill and roll-back, as they apply to commodities of interest to developing countries, must be fully honoured. The expansion of commodity earnings of developing countries and improvement in schemes to compensate for the shortfall in their export earnings should also O::>ntinue to be a major objective of international effort. Support for the diversification of developing countries• economies with a view to insulating them from the vagaries of fluctuation in oommodi ty prices should be accorded high priority. We recognize the burgeoning threats to our ecosystem. We also recognize that without early najor action irreparable damage could be done to our resource bases and natural environment. The problem is fast becoming intractable. The process must be reversed. This must be done with the utmost dispatch, care and circumspection. However, our zeal in this respect should not constrain the development process itself. We must recognize that improved economic conditions are a sine qua non for improvement in the environment. Poverty has often been at the root of the JPS/jg A/S-18/PV. 8 17 (Mr. Ahsan, Bangladesh) unprecedented exploitation of nature. The elimination of mass poverty must therefore be a priority concern. It is an essential prerequisite for sustained environmental improvement. There is also an imperative need to reach an understanding on sharing the oost of environmental protection. It has rightly been stressed that meeting global threats to the environment will involve oountries with greatly differing ability to pav. Developed industrialized countries must share the major burden and responsibility of environmental protection. They should provide additional resources, environmentally sound technologies and other means of support which would help developing countries in this imJX~rtant area. It is an axiom that peace and poverty are strange bedfellows. Relaxation of tension in troubled areas should be accompanied by measures to alleviate poverty. 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a policy statement or a declaration that discusses the importance of economic development, environmental protection, and poverty reduction. It emphasizes the need to honor commitments to developing countries, promote sustainable economic growth, and address the environmental challenges facing the world. The text also highlights the importance of international cooperation and the need for developed countries to share the burden of environmental protection with developing countries.

**Category**
Economic development, Natural resources and environment