Today, about one billion people- one fifth of the world's population- rnav be defined as absolutely poor. Illiteracy is increasing in many areas, and many parts of the world, in this age of abundance, face the prospect of famine. Life expectancy is dramatically l011er in the poorer regions. If one happens to be born today in a developed industrialized country, one may on average expect to outlive the scriptural span of three score and ten years, by another six, to reach the age of 76J if one happers to be born in sub-Saharan Africa, however, one's allotted span will only reach two score and ten, for one will in all likelihood be dead by 50. To p.It it yet another way, in the interval between the beginning and the end of my speech, some 550 children around the world will have died of hunger - children who, in a better world than the one which we have so far been able to give them, might have been professionals cr labourers or farmers, who might have been statesmen or poets, each contributinq in his or her own unique and individual way not only to the Prosperity of his or her own country but also to the commonwealth of humankind. BHS/jg A/S-18/PV. 6 13 (President Vass,il iou) In so far as children symbolize our common future, there is scarcely another figure so tellingly eloquent in highlighting the fact that the problem of development and the equitable distribution of economic prosperi tv is a concern common to us all, and not just the problem of the less fortunate among us. I should like to expand on this point because I believe that while we Pav lip-service to the fact that the economic interests of developed countries are, in 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the issue of poverty, illiteracy, and hunger, highlighting the stark differences in life expectancy and economic prospects between developed and developing countries. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues for the benefit of all humanity, not just the less fortunate. The text's focus on the economic and social disparities between countries and the need for equitable distribution of economic prosperity suggests that it is primarily concerned with economic development and its related issues.

**Category**
Economic development, Humanitarian aid and relief