Secretary-General, who never shirked the daunting task of the successful implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions on Namibia. Belize wishes to associate itself with the earlier calls made in support of the new Republic in the momentous task of nation-building. Belize would also like publicly and warmly to welcome the new Permanent Representative of free Chile. We are confident that, having just emerged from the long, long night of dictatorship and denial of human rights, Chile will play an important role both in our region and globally in the field of protection of human r ights. This special session is convened against the backdrop of a growing disparity in economic performance between the industrialized nations and developing countries like ours. Despite the overwhelming changes in the international arena that have contributed to a drastic decrease in political tensions during the last decade, it is no secret that, for many countries like ours, the 1980s were the decade lost for development . The further lessening of world political tension and the recent fundamental reforms in Eastern Europe suggest that this is an opportune time for concerted global action to address the disparity between unprecedented economic expansion in the developed market economies and stagnation and retrogression in the majority of developing countries. We have learned through difficult experience that the trickle-down theories postulated in the 1960s and 1970s prove useless in today ’s world, with heightened interdependence between national economies. The impact of the debt crisis, the fall in world market prices of major commodities, increased protectionism, a decline in investment, and in some cases poor domestic economic management, have resulted in a scenario characterized as the JB/10 A/S-18/PV. 9 38 (Mr. Ragers, Belize ) low-growth trap. Unfortunately, those economic set-backs are accompanied by a 
**Analysis**
The text primarily focuses on the economic development of developing countries, specifically the impact of debt crisis, protectionism, and poor domestic economic management on their growth. It also touches on the importance of international cooperation and the need for a global response to address the disparity between developed and developing countries. The text does not mention specific natural resources, environmental issues, or humanitarian aid, which suggests that it is not primarily related to these categories.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade