text: it becomes more urg,ent than ever that we seek to bring about the realization of the objectives of the Lagos Plan of Action, particularly the creation of an African common market, as envisaged therein. JB/19 A/S-18/PV. 5 81 (Mr;. · Shamuyar ira;· Zimbabwe) Existinq economic qroupinqs such a; the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) -which was &scribed very fully by the previous speaker -the Eastern Southern Africa Preferentioll Trade Area (PTA), the Economic Community of West African States CE<X>WAS), and others have made a qood start. Many teething problems have been ironed out, and sone proqress, althouqh nodest, has been 11Bde. Similarly, developinq countries in Asia and Latin America have accelerated and should accelerate their own efforts at furtherinq, strenqtheninq and deepeninq regional economic co-operation in their regions, amonq themselves. The orthodox structural adjustment proqrammes that were imposed on the developing countries in the 1980s have made recovE!ry even nore difficult. There is no economic recovery takinq place in third-world countries. While short-term indicators l'IBY have given the erroneous impression of proqress, lonq-term transformation has suffered immeasurably. At the same time, the conditions of the most vulnerable segments of developinq countries' societies- in particular women, children and the aged -have wallowed deeper in the quagmire of poverty. Rather than address the fundamental and underlyinq economic problems of those countries, the adjustment measures etched at the symptoms only. If we persist in the 1990s along that path, t:his &cade is likely to be an equally lost deca& for development as were the 1980s. The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa CECA), Dr. Adedeji, was quite right in describing the 1980s as a decade lost to developmemt, in Africa as well as in other third-world countries, with very few exceptions in South-East Asia. The litter and 
analysis: The text discusses the importance of regional economic cooperation, the challenges faced by developing countries, and the need for a new approach to economic development. It also highlights the negative impact of structural adjustment programs on the most vulnerable segments of society. Based on this content, it is likely that the text falls under the category of economic development, but also touches on international trade and humanitarian aid.