forthePr.paration oftheInt.rnational D.v.lopm.nt Strat'9Y for theFourthUnit.dNationl D.v.lopm.nt D.cad.ontheworkofthe Committ•• Cal.ndar ofoonf.r.no.1 andm••tin91for1990and1991 -9-Chapt."II OI:NIRAL DISCUSSlOO orINTBRNATIONAL ICOOOMl': ANDSOCIALPOLICY, INCLUDINO REOIONAL ANDSECTORAL DEVBLOPMBNTS 1.TheEconomic andSocialCouncil heldagen.ral disculionofinternational economic and.ocialpolicy, including r.gional and••ctoraldevelopm.ntl, atits ••condr.gular••••ionof1989(agenda itema).ThePr••identoftbeCouncil and theS.cretary-O.n.ral m.d.op.ning.t.t.m.nt••tthe17thme.ting, on5July1989. Thegeneraldi.cu••iontookplaceatthe18thtoa7thanda9thm••tings,on6and 7Julyandfrom10to13JulYIanaccount ofthediscussion iscontain.d inthe r.l.vant .ummary record. (B/1989/SR.18-27 and29). Z.Atit.fir.tr.gular••••ion,theCouncil h.dd.cid.d tofocu.,init.g.n.ral di.cu••ion,onth.question of.tructural chang••andimbalanc.. intheworld .conomy andtheirimpactonint.rnational d.v.lopm.nt co-op.ration, particularly withthed.v.loping countri••(d.ci.ion 1989/105, para.(a)). 3.Inop.ning the••••ion,tb.Pr••identob••rv.dthatthepa.td.cad.h.db••n m.rk.dby.ignificant chang.andincr••••dint.rd.pend.nc. intheworldeconomy and thatthed.cad.ah.adwouldpo.em.joreconomic and.oci.lchall.ng... Th. improved clim.te formultilat.ral co-op.ration withintheUnit.dN.tion••y.t.m offered auniqueopportunity toadaptinternational .conomic co-op.rat.ion polici.s tothechange. thathadtak.nplac.duringthepaltdecadeandcbange.th.tw.r. stilloccurring. 4.Bconomic di.p.rities amongregion••ndcountries hadb.enexacerbated throughout the1980.,aldocum.nted inthe~gr14Economic Survey. 1989.11Growth ratedifferencel meantthatthroughout thedecadetherehadbe.n.n.ver-wid.ning incom.gapbetw.en tbedevelop.d countri••andalargenumberofdev.loping countrie.. Th.1980.hadju.tifiably beencall.da"lo.td.cad." formanyof th.m.D••pit.theeconomic r.form.carri.d outbyanumb.rofd.v.loping countri••,manyw.r.curr.ntly facinggrav.rprobl.m. thanthoyhadfac.daa.cad• •arlier. Almoston.billion humanbeing.-onefifthoftheworldpopulation ­ w.r.livinqinab.olut. pov.rty. Th.r.w.sanurg.ntn.edtodevelop the agricultural ••ctorinfood-importing developing countrie.. Significant Frogr••• hadbe.nachi.v.d inpopulation policie., butnotinallregion. andcountrie.. At the.ametim.,thegrowthoftheworld's urbanpopUlation wasbecoming evermore di.qui.ting. Environmental probl.ml, to•c.rtain.xtenttherelultofimb.lance. betw.enindultrial andd.veloping countrie., pr••entedam.jorthre.ttofuture generation. a.farasquality oflif.wasconc.rn.a. 5.Som.oftb•••i••u••wereamongthemostimport.nt item.ontheag.ndaofthe current••••ion.ThemannerinwhichtheCouncil addres.ed thoseqU.ltionl andthe progre.s madeinresolving th.mwouldshowwh.ther theefforts launch.d in1988to r.vitaliz. theCouncil h.db.guntobe.rfruit. 11UnitedN.tion. public.tion, S.l••No.E.89.II.C.l an~corrigendum. -10-16.Inhi••ddr•••totheCouncil, theS.cr.t.ry-G.n.r.l s.idth.tinlooking.t thepa.tfewye.r.on.h.dtheimpr•••ionth.tthepac.ofhi.tory h.d .cceler.t.d. On.11contin.nt. mom.ntous event.wereocaurrinq, .omehiqhly al.rming, oth.r.veryencour.ging. Almost.11werear.mind.r oftheimport.nc. of,intheword.ofArticl. 55oftheCh.rt.r oftheUnitedN.tion., c~.ating the condition. of.t.bility .ndw.ll-b.ing whichw.r.n.c••••ryforp••c.ful.nd friendly r.l.tion. amongn.tion•• 7.Fundament.l .conomic refnrm.h.dr.c.ntly b••nund.rt.k.n in.om.ofthe larg.st couL~ri••,withf.r-r••chingpolitic.l implic.tions forth.m.ndtheworld atl.rqe. InL.tinAmeric., thed.btprobl.m had.rupted into.oci.ldisord.r and viol.nc.. Simil.r probl.m. h.dari••ninNorthAfric., .ndin.ub-S.h.r.n Afric. manycountri••w.redriftinq into.eonomic andpolitie.l dis.rray. Countries th.t hadb.enm.kinqhe.dw.y •d.c.de••rlierintb.struqgl••qain.tpov.rty .nd und.rd.v.lopm.nt h.drel.ps.d into.tagn.tion. Th.progr••••chi.v.dinthe politic.l fieldmightprovetobeillu.ory ifthe.spir.tion. forbetterment ofthe majority oftb.world'. popul.tion couldnotb•••ti.fi.d. 8.Among th~po.itiv. d.v.lopm.nt. ofthep••tf.wy••r.w.r.politic.l det.nt., the.low-down inthe.rm.rac.andtheprogre••m.d.inr••olvingregion.l conflict.. Ifth.tmom.ntum couldb.m.intain.d, itwouldnotonlyr.l••••human and.conomic rA.oure.. forp••cefuldev.lopm.nt butwouldv••tlyimprove the climat. inwhichindividu.l m.nandwom.ncould.triv.forb.tt.rlivingcondition •• 9.Anoth.rgr.atcbang.wa.tb.communication. r.volution, wbicbb.dl.dtoa trulyqlob.lm.rk.tnotonlyforgood••udfin.nc. but.1.0forid•••,v.lu•••nd culture. Ith.dtran.formed international r.l.tion. inw.y.neverim.gined. Th. directlink.b.tw••nindividu.l••roundtheworldhadrai••dto.nint.rnation.l lev.lis.ue.-.uch•••nvironment.l problem. -th.th.dformerly beencon.idered es••nti.lly dom••tic. 10.Abov••11,therehadbeen.ch.nq.in.ppro.ch••tod.v.lopment. Gov.rnm.nt. h.dcometor.cogni••th.ttbeycouldnotc.llitforthbydecr.ebutmu.tprovide •f.vour.ble .nvironm.nt. Although th.r.were.tilldifferenc ••between countri••' d.v.lopm.nt polici••,id•••aboutwh.tm.d.foreconomic d.velopment h.dinm.ny r.spect. tend.dtoconv.rge. Itw••morewid.lybeli.v.d th.tpolitic.l fr.edom andparticipation w.r.e.s.nti.l .l.m.nt. of•dynamicsoci.ty andconduciv. to .conomic progr••s.
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a report on the discussion of international economic and social policy, including regional and sectoral developments, by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. It highlights the significant changes in the world economy, the widening income gap between developed and developing countries, and the challenges facing humanity, including poverty, environmental problems, and conflicts. The text also touches on the importance of communication and the need for global cooperation to address these challenges.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade