text: about the lengthy consultations that were held on the communications that had been received from the Ambassador8 of India and the Philippines on the one hand, and Sri Lanka on the other, about the efforts that should be made to take rapid steps, at least with regard to the specific request8 that we had received, and how, by some strange twist of fate, what began with what seemed to be a very simple discussion about whether we would authorise an Indian vessel to deliver foodstuffs that were urgently required by the Indian population in the region or not. hnd now we find the text before ~8. That ia what occurred though the Council and its Committee did have background information, not from ancient history but from recent days, as to how such questions should be settled when request8 came not from third world countriee but from other States. Everyone knows that when authorieation was requested to fly the aircraft of Borne members of the Council to pick up natiOnelS of their countries that wished to return to their country of origin, or to fly Iraqi airplanes to do the same, there were no long neqotiations, lenqtby diocueeions or COmpliCated texta, The sanctions Committee quickly and simply expressed agreement to such operations. We did it once, and since then it has recurred without the Conrmittee having to meet ayain. JSM/cw WPV.2939 32 (Mr. A;Carcon de QPesRda. Cuba) My delegation entirely agrees with that interpretation of the request that was received at that time, if I am not mistaken, from the United Kingdom. I expect that in the carrying out of such activities there bad to be communication with the Iraqi authorities and there had to be some financial payments, because finally one must pay for overflight airport services. 
analysis: The text appears to be discussing a humanitarian aid and relief situation, specifically the authorization of Indian and Philippine vessels to deliver foodstuffs to their respective populations. The mention of sanctions and the ease with which authorization was granted for similar operations in the past suggests that the context is one of international cooperation and crisis response.