Follow-Up of the special sessions of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament

Two special sessions of the general assembly, the first held in 1978 (known as the tenth special session, or the first devoted to disarmament) and the second held in 1982 (the twelfth special session, or the second devoted to disarmament), have marked particularly intensive efforts by the international community to reach agreement on a strategy for the future course of disarmament. They made possible the consideration of the whole spectrum of questions related to the arms race and the possibilities of limiting and reversing it. The Final Document of the Tenth Special Session, usually referred to in this volume as the 1978 Final Document, was adopted by consensus and is considered the guide for all disarmament efforts within and outside the United Nations. The atmosphere at the twelfth special session was less conducive to consensus, but the General Assembly unanimously reaffirmed the validity of the previous special session’s Final Document.

Related Subject(s): Disarmament