in response to global needs is a viable option. It is the option that the Committee for Development Planning urges the international community to take. C. World economic situation and prospects 1. Current situation 81. The beginning of the United States economic recovery at the very end of 1982 came, as the 1984 annual report of the Bank for International Settlement noted, "at just about the eleventh hour". A recovery in a 3.7 trillion dollar economy which represents more than 40 per cent of the combined GDP of OECD and about one fourth of world output, does matter. United States imports alone are larger than the gross domestic product of the seventh largest developed market economy. 82. Last year the United States economy grew by nearly 7 per cent and its imports by 25 per cent in real terms which gave a strong boost to exports and incomes in -17- several parts of the world. The GDP of other developed market economies increased by 3.3 per cent, after an average of less than 1.5 per cent in 1981-1983. The speed of the recovery was sluggish and highly uneven among developing countries. While in Asia the average rate of growth was near 5.5 per cent in 1984, in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East the average rate of growth was in the 2.2 to 2.4 per cent range, barely matching the rate of increase in population. In 1984, no less than 44 developing countries experienced a stagnating or declining real output per capita, many of them for the fourth consecutive year. 83. In terms of real national income per head, the situation is even worse given the fact that, because of rising payments on foreign debt, the rates of growth of GNP were less than of GDP. In addition, commodity prices in 1984 were still some 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the global economic situation and its impact on international trade and development. It mentions the recovery of the US economy, the growth rates of different regions, and the struggles of developing countries to achieve economic growth. The text also touches on the issue of foreign debt and its impact on economic development.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade