Japan made at the seventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Japan is striving to facilitate financial flows to developing countries by implementing a resource-recycling plan amounting to more than $65 billion and by expanding its official development assistance in line with its fourth official development assistance medium-term target plan. For the sound economic development of developing countries, it is also important to improve the environment for trade so that those countries may attain a steady expansion of their exports. As a nation which owes its current prosperity to the free trade system, Japan intends to do its utmost, with the participation of developing countries, for the success of the Uruguay Round negotiations, which will conclude this year. It is important for developing countries to attain stable commodity export earnings in order to achieve development. It gave Japan particular satisfaction to see the Agreement Establishing the Common Fund for Commcx1ities finally enter into effect in June of last year, and we are pleased that the preparations for full-fledged operations of the Fund are making substantial progress. Japan has already made a contribution to the first account and plans to contribute to the second account as well. We earnestly hope that the Common Fund will be effectively utilized. Global environmental problems stemming fran greatly expanded human activities, population growth and industrial progress in recent years are threatening the very basis of existence of all creatures on earth. In the process of rapid urbanization BHS/JK A/S-18/PV. 2 47 (Mr. Ishii, Japan) and indus tr iali za tion, people in developing countries have suffered from unprecedented levels of air and water pollution never experienced by developed countries. I am convinced that translating the widely accepted concept of sustainable development into practical measures is the key to our development strategy henceforth, and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which 
**Analysis**
The text primarily focuses on Japan's efforts to support economic development, particularly in developing countries, through financial flows, official development assistance, and trade facilitation. The text also touches on the importance of environmental sustainability and the role of the Common Fund for Commodities. These themes suggest that the text is more closely related to economic development and natural resources/environment than other categories.

**Category**
Economic development, Natural resources and environment