M~. SAN'IDS (Cape Verde) (interpretation from French): On behalf of the Cape Verde delegation, I am pleased to express our satisfaction at seein:~ Mr. Garba preside over the work of the eighteenth special session. Accustomed as we are to seeing him preside over the sessions of our General Assembly with mastery and competence, we are certain that his diplomatic skills will once again be put to the JB/34 A/S-18/PV. 6 163 (Mr. Santos, Cape Verde) service of the international community in order to guarantee the effectiveness and success of our current deliberations. Our congratulations also qo to the merrbers of the Bureau, and we should 1 ike to take this opportunity to extend our thanks to the Preparatory Committee, which, under the leadership of Ambassador Zepos of Greece, has done praiseworthy work which we duly appreciate. A well-deserved tribute should also l:e paid to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, for his dedication to the cause of development and peace and for his important contribution to the holdinQ of the current session. At the beginninQ of our work, we were overioyed and honored to welcome into our family Namibia, the 160th State Member of our Organization. Havinq fouQht a long and difficult liberation struggle under the leadership of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), Namibia has finally taken its rightful Place among the ranks of free and sovereign nations. Thus the all too long chapter of decolonization in Africa is practically complete. Namibia •s independence under the auspices of the United Nations represents a victory for the Namibian people, for Africa and for the international community. It is certainly also a victory for the United Nations system, which has given a remarkable demonstration of its ability to live up to its responsibilities when the international community gives it the 
**Analysis**
This text appears to be a speech or statement by a representative of Cape Verde at the United Nations, celebrating the independence of Namibia and expressing gratitude to various individuals and organizations involved in the process. The text does not contain specific references to economic development, natural resources, or other technical fields, but rather focuses on the political and symbolic aspects of Namibia's independence.

**Category**
International relations, Humanitarian aid and relief