UN General Assembly
1984

269. But nuclear disarmament is only one side of the coin. Conventional weapons have acquired such destructive capabilities that had they been reached during the last war one wonders where humanity would be today. In assessing the importance of conventional disarmament, we should also bear in mind that the imbalances in this field are one of the important reasons why many countries had to resort to nuclear weapons in order either to defend them-selves or to gain supremacy. 270. On the other hand, since military build-ups are caused by suspicion and a feeling of insecurity, it is evident that to break this vicious circle all the countries of the world, whether or not they belong to military alliances, should work consistently to pre mote detente and understanding among them. The need for universal support of all peace initiatives, whatever their provenance, can hardly be over-emphasized.