UN General Assembly
1977

109. I have touched on a number of problems and I want now to turn to the most menacing of all-the arms race. No other issue before this Assembly creates greater hopes and engenders greater despair. The gap between our aspirations and our achievements frustrates and dispirits us, and that gap must be closed. 110. There has been some progress. It is encouraging that at last serious negotiations have begun among three of the nuclear-weapon States on the content of a comprehensive test-ban treaty. This will provide the most effective restriction on vertical nuclear proliferation so far and is clearly the first priority. We hope that a generally accepted comprehensive test-ban treaty will have been drafted by the time the special session is held. No other development, in our judgement, would provide a happier augury for the success of that session. We do not consider acceptable to wait for technology to solve all the political problems confronting a test ban. This would be to wait indefinitely and perhaps for ever. The time for action is now.