there are poor people who even lose the hope that their children will be better off. Many turn into drop-outs, fugitives, migrants seeking refuge. Their options, few as they were already, are taken away. RM/6 A/S-18/PV. 4 21 (Mr. Pronk, Netherlands) The record of the 1980s is in itself a reason to reassess our policies. The trends which we expect will dominate the 1990s make such a reassessment inevitable, and I see three such trends: first, the risks of traditional policies have become bigger; secondly, the scope for national policies has narrowed; and, thirdly, dividing lines, once sharp, are fading away. First, the risks: Because of continuing traditional policies the environment is threatened to such an extent that sustainability is no longer assured. Production and consumption patterns will have to be changed drastically, particularly in the industrialized countries. It is they who have been mainly responsible for environmental degradation. However, the global environment is fast becoming a responsibility which developing countries will have to share. Substantial additional assistance from abroad will be needed to enable developing countries to bear that burden. However, without fundamental changes in those countries too -for instance, in their policies regarding population and policies with regard to exploitation of scarce resources -sustainable global development will be at risk. A common undertaking to avoid that risk is urgently called for. The second trend concerns the narrowing scope for national policies. There are no domestic markets any more. Finance, trade and investment are global issues. Debt and the environment have become transnational. Migration does not stop at borders. AIDS is a worldwide phenomenon. Such globalization poses two major problems: First, the problem of how to create an international framework enabling us to manage interdependence. In the view of the Netherlands Government a strengthened but restructured United Nations 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the challenges posed by globalization, including environmental degradation, unsustainable development, and the need for international cooperation to address these issues. It also touches on the impact of traditional policies on the environment and the need for fundamental changes in countries' policies. The text does not specifically focus on economic development, agriculture, forestry, fishing, industry, transport, communication, health, education, employment, or culture, but rather on the broader context of sustainable global development.

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