UN General Assembly
1991

Although the ending of East-West confrontation has fostered greater cooperation in international relations it has not led to a quantum reduction of such major problems as the economic plight of the third world, the eradication of apartheid in South Africa, the attainment of national self-determination for the Palestinians, the return of all occupied Arab territories and the democratisation of the international system. In short, the end of the cold war may have reduced the threats to international peace and security, but it has not eradicated them. Until recently, there existed three major threats to international peace and security, namely, the East-West conflict, the North-South divide and regional conflicts. As ' mentioned earlier, super-Power entente and the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe have greatly reduced the possibility of Soviet-American military confrontation. To a large extent the artificial division of Europe is coming to an end and, with it, we see the emergence of new political priorities and security structures. There is also broad international consensus on the necessity for cooperation to promote ecological security.