Page 47 degree of flexj.bility and sot€ possible ad j ustrnent in t}le pronounced vie{vs of the negotiatiog groups ' what then might be the practical means throuqh which the United |Iations could renain the approPriate fo:r{n for the purpose? fn the first placer sonE tfrouqht :nay need to be focussed on the nego+'iatlng plocess itself. It '*ould be seen that sj.nce the establlshfient of the iI:lcTAD ln 1954 the negotiatlons on major items of trade and developnent J-ncludlag such issues as conmt'dlties' sys-.em of prefererrces, transier of technc: ogy etc' ' have been taken up and negotiated in the (:omfiLttees Established cn individual items. These negotiations {"rere taken fortard, dependlng upon the urge ncy of ttre osbasion' to the sesslons of the ullCtAD, ttre UNIDo ' the Ecosoc and even thd General Assenrloly' The negotiatlng process at eaclr sta.ge has virtuatly followed the'Pattern of a.- dlalogtue between l.nterested groups viz', tf,te Group of 77, Group B ( Industrlalized rratlons ) and Group D (Socialist countries ) and China, which is not a fiEmber of any of tlre Groups. Efris nodallty of negotiatlons which vlas lnitially conceived as being tn the interest of t$e developing countrle s woulil now appear to have outlived its utiMy ln tjre changlng pattern of world econonry and ln the context tlrat the premise on which t.}'e ecoiomlc btrategieE of the sixtj'es and r-he early seventies were forged have ceased to be valJ.d' Tlre Groups ttremse lves, ln many ways, are no longer l':ono- geneous Ln character wittr dlfferlng and confllctlng interests as betr een the rTEmbers of a Group, wlth the result that lt is often hard and a time consutilngA/40/726 English Page 48
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the negotiation process and flexibility in international trade agreements, particularly in the context of the United Nations and its committees. The focus is on the economic implications of these agreements and the need for adjustment in the face of changing global economic patterns. This suggests that the category should be related to economic development and international trade.

**Category**
International trade, Economic development