text: attitude was probably due to the failure to recognize how deleterious crime could be for the development efforts of a country. Since criminality inevitably consumed scarce resources and damaged the morale of the citizenry, developing countries were being left with tremendous difficulties not only in guaranteeing law and order, but also in ensuring the proper protection of basic human rights. It was useless to talk about general principles of justice if judicial systems were under violent attack by national and transnational criminals. Unless that taboo were discarded, very little of significance was likely to be achieved. 16. With respect to the Third United Nations Survey of Crime Trends, Operations of Criminal Justice Systems and Crime Prevention Strategies, the Committee took note of the progress made in its implementation. However, the rate of response, particularly from developing countries, was unsatisfactory. Many responses, moreover, contained gaps and, in some cases, appeared inaccurate. Although the collaboration of the institutes had helped a great deal, the results had fallen painfully short of the ideal mark. 17. In that connection, several participants indicated that developing countries had particular difficulties in filling out the questionnaire, since it was far from easy for them to provide reliable information covering their total territory. In a number of cases, the information did not exist at all. And it appeared that the relevant information, particularly that of a statistical nature, could not be collected without some form of technical co-operation. Only through technical co-operation could the ability of developing countries to respond in a satisfactory manner to the survey be improved. 18. The Committee felt that considerable reflection and work were needed to improve the survey. The questionnaire could perhaps be simplified. Since the information requested was often scattered throughout different offices, the question was raised as to the manner of obtaining the necessary information. 
analysis: The text appears to be discussing the impact of crime on a country's development efforts, particularly in developing countries. It highlights the challenges faced by these countries in collecting and providing reliable information on crime trends and justice systems, and emphasizes the need for technical cooperation to improve their response to a UN survey. This suggests that the text is focused on the relationship between crime and development, rather than other areas like natural resources, industry, or health.