UN General Assembly
1998

developments that have left a deep impact on the world economy, including the transition to a market economy, the removal of economic barriers and the trend towards a globalized economy. Such developments place burdens on developing countries and their economies. This requires finding the necessary means to avoid the negative impact of these developments on these countries and to help them adapt their economies to the changes and prepare them to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). Among these modalities is a commitment by wealthy countries to increase official development assistance, to find comprehensive solutions to the problem of external debt, to integrate developing countries into the world free- trade system, and to improve terms of trade. As a developing country, Jordan has suffered from economic problems, which grew worse following the Gulf war of the early 1990s. With the help of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Jordan has pursued structural adjustment policies that have resulted in tangible progress. Jordan has succeeded in reducing its budget deficit and 8 the size of its external debt. It has improved its