hope of my delegation that the special session will mark a new startinq-point and that it will be remembered for havinq qiven firm political guidelines for sincere and serious negotiations, both within the framework of and outside the Organization. BHS/jl A/S-18/PV. 7 81 Mr~ NOGUEIRA-BATISTA (Brazil): The 1980s was a decade of qreat economic imbalances and trade tensions among developed market economies. Above all, it has proven to be a period of severe economic hardships for the large majority of developinq countries. The world has become, at the same, time, more interdependent and, paradoxically, less co-operative. Since the early 1970s, we have witnessed, in fact, a distinct decrease of international multilateral co-operation. This has been and continues to be the case not only among developed market economies but also, and very much so, the trend in their relations with the developinq countries. The prevailing direction has indeed been for nations to turn inward, individually or in blocs. In spite of the rhetoric of openness, nations, particularly the developed ones, tend to care almost solely -and perhaps short-sightedly -for their own national interests. Little regard is shown for the imy:ect of domestic, bilateral or regional actions on the basic principles of economic multilateralism as expressed in the unconditional most-favoured-nation rule or in a stable system of exchange rates. Given the asymmetric distribution of world economic power, developing countries, as the weaker Partners, were bound to suffer most the consequences of the crumbling of the post-war economic order built around the Bretton Woods institutions and the General AQreement on Tariffs and Trade (~TT). Those countries have been faced with increasing protectionism and discrimination in the markets of developed countries. The emergence of the debt crisis, which has crippled the ability of the majority of developing countries to pursue 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech or statement from a representative of a developing country, criticizing the economic policies of developed countries and highlighting the negative impacts on developing countries. The text mentions economic imbalances, trade tensions, protectionism, and debt crises, which are all related to economic development and international trade.

**Category**
International trade, Economic development