11.In.pit.ofthefru.trations th.tb••et.0m.nydevelopinq countri••,there was•glimmer ofhopeth.tbythey••r2000the.ituation wouldb.b.tter. Th. taskwouldnotb.e••y,b.cau.e ofthedifficultie. ofbringing conflicting Gov.rnments together andthe.heermagnitude ofdevelopm.nt problem•• 12.TheCouncil hadchu••n,•••m.jorpolicythemeforit.di.cu••ion,the structural chang.s.ndimb.lanc.s tob.foundin.lmo.tall••pectaoftheworld economy, mostsignific.ntly intheuncert.inty andunpredictability th.th.d char.ct.ri.ed itdurinqthe1980s,thegrowing t.chnoloqic.l divid.,int.rn.tion.l finl,ncial manaq.m.nt andtbemargin.li.ation oftheleastdev.loped countri.s. Highinter.st rate.andb.tt.rinv.stment opportuniti ••inthed.v.lop.d world ha~ mad.itdifficult fordev.loping countries toattract n.wcapital tofu.ltheir growth. Theinternational trading .ystemwasw.ighted inf.vourofthe industriali.ed countri••,whileint.rn.tional comp.titivene ••w••determined largely ontheba.ieofma.t.ry oftechnology. Tbemo.t.triking con.equence of tho.einequities wa.therev.r.etr.n.fer ofre.ource. frompoortorichcountrie •• -11-13.7ho.edifficult problem. concerned allcountrie., whichmu.tshare re.pon.ibility forthemiDprup~rtioD totbeirability toaddres. themwithout delay. Thatwouldrequire .trenqthen.d int.rDational co-op.ration. Th.United Nation. couldplay ~nimportaDt roleinthatproc.ss, interaliabymean.of initiative. sucha.the.p.cial••••ionoftheOeneral As.em.1yonint.rnational economic co-op.rationandth,preparation ofanewint.rnational development strategy. Theproposed international c~nference onenvironment anddevelopment and theSecondUn!tedNations Conference ontheLeastDeveloped Countries would contribute toaclo••rund.r.tanding ofcentral d.v.lopment i.sue.andprepare for abett.rfutureinaninterdep.nd.nt world. 14.Nowh.re wasmultilat.ral co-op.ration moreurg.nt1y n••dedthaninrelation to int.rnational debt.TheGen.ral Assembly hadagaina.k.dtheS.cretary-G.n.ral to holdcon.ultations withavi.wtoreaching anunderstanding onasOlution. R.cent decisions intheInternational Mon.tary FundandtheWorldBanktosupport debt reduction mark.danimportant st.pforward, butthe~ifficulty ofreducing commercial bank d.~t.houldnotbeunderestimated. Taxandregulatory changes in creditor countries wereobviou.ly v.ryimportant, a.werepolicyreforms indebtor countri... Itmightalsob.nec••sarytorevi.wtheToronto Summitd.cision. aimed atalleviating thedebtburd.noflow-incom. countries, ~articularly inAfrica, wherethere.ults hadthusfarbeendisappointing. Asolution tothedebtcrisis, which woul~probably involve ch.largest i~ternational financial op.ration in history, wouldnotbe.a.ytofindwithout great.fforts byalltheparti.s involved -GovernmentA, banksandinte.national financial institutions. 15.Anothercrisisfacingtheinternational community wasthatofenvironmental degradation, theimplications ofwhichw.restillnotfUllyknown.Itwa. encouraging thatallcountri'b, fromthemostindustrialised tothepoor.st, were quickly becoming awarethattheissuemightaffectnotonlytheirgrowthpotential Duttheirsurvival. Example. oftheprogress madeweretheBa.elConvention onthe Control ofTransboundary Moveme',sofHa.ardou. WastesandtheirDi.po.al andthe efforts toslowglobalwarming anOcop.withclimate chang.. Whileallcountries shared responsibi~ity inthatfin\(I,itwa.evident thattheindustrialised countries hadthemosttocontr~bute, notonlyinmitigating the~amagetheywere causing totheglobalQnvironment butalsoinassi.ting d.velaping countries to breakoutofpoverty andachi.ve .nvironmentally soundand.ustainable developmti~t. 16.Thecomprehen.ive policyreviewofoperational activities fordevelopment to belaunched in1989 woul~makeanessential contribution tothequality andvigour ofthesupport theUnitedNations .ystemgavetothedev.loping countri.s. With regardtotherevitalisation oftheCouncil, greaterpolitical willwasneededwith regardtosubs~anc. andprocedures alike. TheCouncil mustbeabletorationali.e itsagenda, programme ofworkanddocumentation. Agreement onthoseissuesandthe adoption ofawell-conceived mUlti-year workprogramme shouldenabletheCouncil to focuseachyearonmajorissuelandfulfilbetterit.re.ponsibilities underthe Charter oftheUnitedNations inproviding policyguidance toMemberStatesandthe organization. ofthesystem. ~~ral dilculsion 17.Mostdelegationl foundthecontrast ineconomi~ performance p~ongcountries andregion~particularly diaturbing. Theacceleration ofoverall growthin1988 hadleftmanydeveloping countries behind, particularly thOleinAfrica, Latin -12-Ameri~a andNe.tA.ia.Economic problem. intho.ecountrie. h.~accumuleted and,
**Analysis**
The text discusses various development issues, including international debt, economic inequality, and environmental degradation. It highlights the challenges faced by developing countries in attracting capital, addressing debt crises, and mitigating environmental impacts. The text also touches on the role of international organizations, such as the United Nations, in promoting cooperation and addressing global development challenges.

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