thequestion ofdebtinthereport wasoutside themandate oftheCommission, thOUq~l herecognized thatthedebtcrisis hadsomenegative effect onthe confidence ofbothforeign anddomestic in-restors. Another representative.' I.ir1 1',13.Manydelegations ~ointed toimp~rtant changes andnewtendencies intheI..'...··.•activitiesoftransnat~onal corporat~ons, suchasthenewwaveofmergers andtacquisitions, newformsofco-operative arrangements between transnational Icorporations, thegrowing importance ofnewandemerging technologies andnew [~dimensions oftheactivities oftransnational banksininternational financing and i.I.·lending. Anumberofthemsuggested thattheCentre should followthosenew 14 tendencies andanalyse theirimpact oninternational economic relations, aswellas ,theirimpact onnational economies, particularly thoseofdeveloping countries.I1Somedelegations stressed theneedformorepolicy-oriented research inthe I~Centre's work. :1 i..IJ [1 ·1J ,.~ . i I') .~ f~;-i :1 :l Ij ; j :j .1:I! :1 1 il 11:1 I,::~l I'j j ::1 Il 1\ !I \I\ ,.J ~I I ) \ disagreed withthesuggestions concerning theuseoftariffs asaninstrument for attracting foreign direct investment orthetargeting ofparticular transnational corporations byleastdeveloped countries. Incommenting onthesuggestion madein thereportthatthedebtoftheleastdeveloped countries beforgiven, another representative saidthathiscountry wasnotprepared toexpandthetermsofthe Toronto Summit beyondthosecountries eligible forsuchtermsintheParisClub. Healsoquestioned therationale forthescreening anddirecting offoreign investment notedintheconclusion ofthereport. 19.Suggestions madeforthefuture workoftheCentrewithregardtotheroleof transnational corporations intheleastdeveloped countries included acontribution totheprocess ofreviewoftheimplementation oftheSubstantial NewProgramme of ActionfortheLeastDeveloped Countries tobecarried outattheSecondUnited Nations Conference ontheLeastDeveloped Countries, tobeheldinParisin1990; technical assistance insuchfieldsasstructuring foreign direct investment agreements, jointventures andnon-equity arrangements invarious fields, including services andotheradvisory activities; identification ofsectors andbankable projects inparticular leastdeveloped countries inconcert withother international institutions; further workontheroleoftransnational corporations injointventures andvarious non-equity arrangements; promotion ofc.ccountinq education; assessment oftheimpactofforeign direct investment onhostleast developed countries, including itsimpact onthetransfer ofresources; the effectiveness ofnon-equity arrangements; theexperience oftheleastdeveloped countries withbilateral treaties oninvestment protection; intensification of technical assistance intheestablishment ofdatabanksandnational information systems; thepreparation ofaninventory ofincentive measures adopted byhome countries andevaluation oftheeffectiveness ofthosemeasures; andamore thorough examination ofthedeterminants offoreign direct investment intheleast developed countries, bearing inmindthatwithinthatgroupofcountries, onlya fewaccounted forahighshare. 20.Inhisconcluding comments, theExecutive Director saidthatonthebasisof thediscussions hehadgainedtheimpression thattheCentre should payparticular attention tothedeveloping countries, givingpriority totheleastdeveloped among them,theimpactofthesingleinternal marketoftheEuropean Economic Community, thegrowthofnon-equity arrangements (inclUding sucharrangements insocialist countries) andstrategic alliances amongtransnational corporations. ActiontakenbytheCommission 21.TheCommission tooknoteofthereportoftheSecretary-General onrecent developments related totransnational corporations andinternational economic relations (E/C.10/1989/2). Itrequested theSecretariat tocontribute tothe
**Analysis**
The text discusses the role of transnational corporations in international economic relations, specifically in the context of developing countries. It highlights the need for more policy-oriented research and technical assistance to promote foreign direct investment and joint ventures. The text also touches on the impact of debt crisis on international economic relations and the importance of analyzing new tendencies in international economic activities.

**Category**
International trade, Economic development