UN General Assembly
1977

162. Fiji looks forward to next year’s special session on disarmament. We are hopeful that the special session will eventually 16ad to curbs in the development, manufacture and sale of arms. We share the view and expectation that this will lead to the release of resources which will be made available to improve the lives of the world's poor and the deprived. Small countries have little influence on this matter. All we can do is to add our voice to the collective voice of mankind in expressing our concern that resources which could and should be put to better uses continue to be used for the production of instruments of war and mass destruction. We believe that whatever resources are released from the development and production of arms should be added to what is already being made available for development purposes. Our concern for disarmament is made the more urgent because of the continued use of the south Pacific for the testing of nuclear devices. In this regard, we welcome the current initiative by the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union to reach agreement to ban underground testing. We also express the hope that other nuclear Powers will join this initiative. We hope too that agreement will be reached on a comprehensive test-ban treaty in the near future.