having wrapped up the records of the 1980s\ a decade which was certainly one of the worst times through Which many developing countries have ever lived. The world economy in that decade experienced financial and commercial disorders and setbacks and negative growth rates in developing countries. That came about because of the sharp and continuous decljne in the prices of commodities, including oil, which constitute the backbone of the national income in developing countries, and because of the upturn in the prices of manufactured goods, the rising interest rates, the intensifying debt crisis, the negative transfer of financial resources to service the debt, and fluctuating exchange BCT/td A/S-18/PV. 4 28 (Mr. Al-Sabah, Kuwait) rates. Moreover, protectionist restrictions emerged as developed countries forged them to impede the free flow of products from developing countries into their markets. Investment in the markets of developing countries also decreased, and there was an intensification of the phenomenon of the monopolization by developed countries of the fruits of their technical advancement. The developing countries have been denied access to this vital heritage, which should be harnessed for the benefit of all. All this coincided with exacerbating poverty, desertification, drought, damage to the economic environment, and the scourqe of increasing natural disasters as well as the worsening phenomenon of the production and abuse of narcotic drugs. All those adverse conditions have combined to form a barrier to the developing countries' endeavour to engage in an equitable dialogue with the developed countries in order to participate in setting the policies and formulating the decisions which influence the world economy. That decade was also characterized by the exhaustive efforts many developing countries exerted to implement harsh austerity and adjustment programmes in order to meet the conditions set by the lending Governments and institutions in developed 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the economic challenges faced by developing countries in the 1980s, including the decline in commodity prices, debt crisis, and protectionist restrictions imposed by developed countries. It also touches on the environmental and social impacts of these challenges, such as poverty, desertification, and natural disasters. The text highlights the difficulties developing countries faced in participating in global economic decision-making and the need for an equitable dialogue with developed countries.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade