In dealing with these conflicts, it is more important to focus on how to prevent them rather than on how to solve them once they break out. In this regard, we must first consider the essential issues of arms control and disarmament. The recent nuclear tests of India and Pakistan constitute enormous challenges to the non-proliferation regime. We urgently need to find a way to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and to strengthen the non-proliferation regime. Furthermore, it is necessary to deal not only with the weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear, biological and chemical weapons but also with such conventional weapons as small arms and anti-personnel landmines.
Social instabilities lie at the root of conflicts.
This makes it extremely important to deal with development issues. There are also growing global threats such as environmental destruction and terrorism. The cruel destructive power of terrorism especially threatens the lives and safety of citizens. It is different by nature from conventional armed conflict between nations, but in the post Cold War world, it poses increasingly grave concerns to our security. Our international community should seriously consider ways to effectively cope with these problems and threats.