Throuqh the holding of the special session, the international community is called upon to take up the development challenqe in all its aspects, including its interaction with development in international relations, giving due reqard to the major political, economic and social changes takinq place throughout the world. The circumstances we are currently experiencinq are exce~ional: while, on the one hand there are major political changes of which we are all aware, offering new opPortunities to strengthen international oo-operation, on the other ·hand they give rise to just as many questions and Pose new challenges. JB/34 A/S-18/PV. 6 165 (Mr. Santos, Cape Verde) Furthermore, the fact is that most of the rna jor economic problems that the international community has tried to solve durinq the past decade have not vet been solved. On the contrary, they have become more acute~ hence the qeneral oPinion that the decade of the 1980s has been a <Ecade lost to &velopment. IM/35 A/S-18/PV. 6 166 (Mr. Santos, Cape Verde) However, the decade will not have been entirely lost if it can teach us lessons that will help us avoid the errors of the past and conceive our future on new bases. The internationalization of the world economy and the qrow inq interdePendence amon:J States constitute the predominant characteristics of our chanqinQ world, and it qoes without sayinq that the far-reachinq chanqes that are takinq Place in Eastern Europe have fostered the trend towards the establishment of major economic qroupinqs in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Nevertheless, Africa, which is clearly not only the most underprivileqed continent but: one whose needs are qrowinq more urqent, appears to be on the sidelines of that development. One question we must answer is how to include Africa in the major trends of the world economy, how to make Africa a orotaQonist in world change? 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the development challenges facing the international community, highlighting the major political, economic, and social changes taking place worldwide. It also emphasizes the need to include Africa in the major trends of the world economy, which suggests a focus on economic development and international relations.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade