What I have said is far from being a simplistic vision of the state of the developing world. The exceptions constituted by a few islands of accelerated growth certainly should not make us lose sight of the fact that hundreds of millions of men, women and children are still living in a state of total deprivation. The basic infrastructure of economic growth in many of those countries has been shattered. Indeed, the foundations and mechanisms governing international trade and technology transfer, for example, contain factors within themselves that lead to the developing countries' being squeezed out world affairs. Those factors include a fall in the export earnings of developing countries as a result of the downward trend in commodity prices and the deterioration in the terms of trade; the excessive indebtedness of the developing countries; monetary instability and a policy of high interest rates, with adverse consequences for the borrowing capacity of the developing countries, further JB/3 A/S-18/PV.5 4 (Mr. Traore, Mali) leading to the escalation in those countries• indebtedness; and protectionism against products and goods from the developing countries. The imbalances and distortions that characterize international economic relations nean that the effects of outside economic bl0111s of all kinds become magnified in the developing countries. The effects of such blows on sub-Saharan Africa are clearly demonstrated in the World Bank's recent report, entitled "Sub-Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth. A Long-term Study." I quote from that report: "In 1989, the region had 450 million inhabitants -more than twice as many as there were at independence -and a GNP of approximately $150 billion". In Africa, the drop in production in the key sector of agriculture is particularly disturbing in view of its primary importance for the economic growth of the countries of the reg ion. 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the state of developing countries, highlighting the challenges they face in terms of economic growth, infrastructure, and international trade. It also mentions the decline of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, which is a critical sector for economic growth. These topics suggest that the text is primarily concerned with economic development and international trade.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade