Mr. OOORE (Jamaica): I join other representatives in welcoming Namibia as the newest State in the international community. It is a long overdue development, and we commend the efforts of the United Nations -in particular, the United Nations Transition Assistance Group -for the part it played in bringing it about. We urge and encourage the community of nations to give all possible economic assistance to this fledgling independent State as it seeks to reduce its dependence on South Africa. This special session on international economic co-operation and development is taking place at a very critical m:>ment in the evolution of the global economy. The most striking feature of the economic landscape today is the persistent and growing imbalance between the economic experiences and immediate prospects of the developed and developing world. The decade just ended has rightly been described as a lost JP/sm A/S-18/PV. 2 24-25 (Mr. Coore, Jamaica) decade for most developin:;J countries, while the developed countries and a handful of developing countries have been enjoying a prolonged period of steady growth and unprecedented levels of affluence. In the 1980s both in Latin America and the Caribbean and in Africa per caoita income declined to such an extent that living standards are now significantly lower than in the 1970s. In contrast, average per capita income in the industrial countries is approximately 50 times that of the less developed countries, and the annual increase alone in the richer countries is about as large as the whole annual per capita income in the poorer countries -is around $300. The sad fact is that many of the poorest countries are getting poorer, with little prospect of economic growth, and so the gap between the North and the South continues to widen, as does 
**Analysis**
The text primarily discusses the economic development of countries, specifically the growing imbalance between developed and developing nations, and the need for economic assistance to newly independent states. The speaker also highlights the issue of poverty and the widening gap between the North and the South. The text does not mention specific industries, natural resources, or environmental issues, but rather focuses on the broader economic landscape and international cooperation.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade