UN General Assembly
1983

152. Today the Security Council must operate by persuasion and consent, but it must operate better. A number of suggestions have been made in this regard—most notably by the Secretary-General and by the Governments of the Nordic countries. It is the earnest hope of the Australian Government that the specific proposals to come forward during this session will be firm and practical, and that they will be acted upon. 153. Obviously, the Security Council is at the nub of any proposition to make the operation of the United Nations more effective, and the crucial element in what happens there is the state of relations between the superpowers. It is clear to us all, and acknowledged by the parties themselves, that the relationship is going through a difficult phase. I do not doubt that the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union are aware that a serious mistake or a breakdown in the management of that relationship could destroy us all in this age of nuclear weapons.