unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (10/11/89)
the worsening state of the environment and said it must be
tackled in connection with the problem of development under the
aegis of the United Nations. It should not be seen as a problem
related only to pollution.
SAEED MOHAMED AL-FAIHANI (Bahrain) said recent political progress
gave hope that positive initiatives in the economic field would
follow. Economic production in the developing countries had
slowed, however, and external debt, low commodity prices and
increased protectionism on the part of the developed countries
had resulted in the growing negative net transfer of resources
from the developing countries. Structural imbalances required
international co-operation as the entire world trading system
had been affected. The economies of the developing countries
who relied on oil exporting had been particularly affected by
the huge drop in oil prices.
The goals of the Third Development Decade had not been attained,
he said, as many developing countries had actually experienced
negative growth rates which had been incompatible with the
Decade's goal of 4.5 per cent growth. The Gulf Co-operation
Council, of which Bahrain was a member, had made great strides
to provide greater complementarity between its member States.
Bahrain was, however, a land-locked country; it had continued
its policies of economic diversification and established itself
as an important centre in the Persian Gulf region. International
negotiations were needed to help the land-locked developing
countries confront problems caused by their geographical
situation.
The problem of the environment was not limited to one country
but involved the whole planet, he said. The goal of development
was affected by environmental problems, as industry was affected
by environmental policies. Bahrain recognized the important role
of the United Nations as a co-ordinator for the development of
international economic policy, and as a forum where Member
States could participate in multilateral dialogue. The
Secretary-General should be given a mandate to resolve acute
international
problems so that the special session in 1990 could start dialogue
between North and South. Multilateral co-operation was needed
to establish a proper international economic environment.
N. SADIQ (Libya) said the world was facing difficult economic
circumstances because of an unequal international economic order.
The problem of external debt, the decline of commodity prices,
the net flow of resources from the developing countries, and
coercive policies of the developed countries, hindered the
development of the developing countries. A global approach was
needed to find solutions to those problems. The structural
adjustment programmes imposed on the developing countries had had
negative consequences and needed to be replaced by programmes
which would take account of economic and social realities.
The degradation of the environment was one of the most serious
problems facing the world today, he said. The advanced
countries produced noxious substances which damaged the
environment and they should accept responsibility for finding
remedies. The developing countries should not be excluded from
decision-making in environmental matters, and the industrialized
countries must stop dumping toxic wastes in the developing
world.
GEORGE PAPADATOS (Greece) said drug trafficking and drug-related
crimes were growing. The drug phenomenon ignored State
boundaries and defied class lines, and its underlying cause was
economic. Drug production, distribution and sale were economic
phenomena, carried out by individuals whose objective was to
produce goods that had no purpose other than to harm society.
The biggest loss for a country resulted from the distorted
allocation of scarce economic resources, he said. Land, labour
and capital used in the production and distribution of drugs
wasted resources that could otherwise have been devoted to the
production of socially desirable goods and services.
Opportunities lost because of drug production included better
education and housing, and the cost to the global economy was
estimated in billions of dollars. Costs were incurred by
increased demands placed on the criminal justice system, as well
as the need for medical attention.
It seemed that recent proposals aimed at increasing the costs to
the drug trafficker, as well as to the consumer, would curb drug
sales and possibly lead to a reduction of drug-related crimes,
he said. Economic analysis could be useful in examining such
forms of crime, as drug traffickers were large-scale firms which
used violence to control markets. Their increased involvement
had led them to acquire legal, financial and accounting
expertise, but they were immune to anti-trust legislation.
Traffickers had achieved political influence through bribes. An
economic analysis could thus prove useful for outlining
* Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501)
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