UN General Assembly
1979

297. While the great Powers continue to accumulate weapons of every description at a speed that exceeds by far any reasonable level of legitimate self-defence, some of the industrialized countries persistently raise secondary issues in order to shift attention from the grave threat posed by vertical proliferation. The need to avoid the emergence of additional nuclear-weapon States is given as a pretext and is emphasized in order to protect the monopoly of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes through discriminatory practices that endanger international co-operation on this subject. The General Assembly clearly stated in its resolution 32/50 the inalienable right of developing countries to develop or to acquire such a technology in conformity with their national priorities, interests and economic and social needs.