UN General Assembly
1983

169. One area in which such an effort is sorely needed is that of arms control and disarmament. The arms race is an immense burden on the world's economy. Reliable estimates indicate that annual expenditure on arms has now reached a staggering $800 billion. These billions are procuring new generations of nuclear-weapon systems with highly sophisticated electronic devices capable of destroying the world several times over. The urgent need today is to limit further technological development in nuclear weapons. A comprehensive test-ban treaty, which has been the primary goal of disarmament efforts for over two decades, becomes more necessary and urgent as a first step in the process of nuclear disarmament. Pending the conclusion of agreements in that area, Jamaica supports as an interim measure the adoption of a moratorium on nuclear testing and a freeze on further production of nuclear weapons.