UN General Assembly
1984

212. Nuclear disarmament and arms reduction must be the goal of all members of the international community. The attainment of that goal is a duty owed to every human being on Earth, and one we cannot shirk. The question is a recurrent theme of General Assembly debates, and the United Nations has convened special sessions to deal with the matter. Regrettably, however, in the face of a lack of cooperation by the nuclear Powers, the United Nations has been unable to make real progress in that important area. But lack of concrete achievement should not dissuade the international community from raising its collective voice against the trend to add to the existing arsenals. Nor should the world be persuaded by the deterrent argument, which, in the light of proliferation, is far outweighed by the potential for disaster resulting from mistake or irrational behaviour.