UN General Assembly
1960

52. The Soviet proposal of 18 September 1959 for general and complete disarmament [See A/4219] received wide support in many parts of the world, because total disarmament was and remains the only possible and lasting solution for the political crisis of our era. The importance and the extreme urgency of the disarmament problem need no emphasis, as the world finds itself at this moment at the edge of a precipice. It is, therefore, no exaggeration to say that the future of civilization depends primarily on our ability to find a solution for the present arms race. In an epoch of rapid change like the present, characterized by great scientific and technological achievements, by revolutions and wars of liberation, by transition from capitalism to socialism in many parts of the world, and by great demands for economic and social development; the solution of the problem of armaments will usher man into an age of great prospects, while his failure will perhaps mark the end of civilization.