and drug trafficking are closely 1 inked and should be viewed as a whole, in order to solve them individually. The treatment they are given cannot be fragmented to such an extent that limits are set on an overall assessment of these phenomena. JB/21 A/S-18/PV. 3 96 (Mr. Figueredo Planchart, Venezuela) Adjustment in our economies, necessary though it may be, should not be made more strenuous as a result of the policies adopted by the main industrialized countries. Very often, those policies overlook the rules of free trade, the very rules so frequently evoked by those same countries, especially in the forums where our economic policies are determined. A mechanistic adaptation of policies geared to achieving macro-economic balance successful in the industrialized countries very often does not lead to the same results in the developing world. Adjustment policies in our countries should respond to the characteristics of our own realities. Otherwise, we will be neglecting considerations of justice and social equity. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we, the developing countries, have quite often been passive spectators of developments that end up affecting us quite directly. We have had to witness from afar how matters of paramount importance to our processes of growth and development have been approached with no regard to the serious repercussions they might generate for the overwhelming majority of mankind. It would seem that the only purpose for which we are taken into account is to stress that, through the now famous "trickle down" effect, our countries will benefit from the political order agreed upon by those who have the most influence in the concert of nations. We have to reverse that trend, and we are doing so. The Group of 15, formed at the summit meeting of the Non-Aligned Countries held in Belgrade, will be holding its first summit meeting in a few weeks. The existence and action of that 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the economic policies of developed countries and their impact on developing countries, highlighting the need for consideration of justice and social equity in economic adjustments. It also mentions the formation of the Group of 15, which suggests a focus on international cooperation and global economic governance. Given the emphasis on economic development, international trade, and the role of developed countries in shaping global economic policies, it is likely that the text falls under the categories of economic development and international trade.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade