UN General Assembly
1988

misused to stifle the criticisms of Member States. Doubtless these attitudes run counter to the interests of the overwhelming majority of States, which wish to see the United Nations make sincere efforts to carry out its mission as a universal Organization in keeping with the Charter. At present we are seeing signs of detente. We cannot but welcome this trend. Nevertheless, the fact is that we are living in a world fraught with contradictions and confrontations. We are far from a real, lasting peace. Relations between the Soviet Union and the United States have entered a period of adjustment based on their political, economic and military interests. Indeed, recent decades have shown that confrontations and arrangements between them have become cyclical. Their policy has not really changed its basic trend towards hegemony. One of the most important and constant parameters of this policy is the accelerating arms race. The most recent testimony to this was the third special session of the United Nations devoted to disarmament, which was held in June this year and ended without