The regional approach

The idea that regional arms limitation and disarmament measures—both in the nuclear and conventional fields—can make significant contributions towards the improvement of international relations in general and the achievement of world-wide disarmament in particular continued to receive increasing attention during 1978. This trend reflected growing appreciation of the view that the regional approach, not as a final goal in itself but as an aspect of the step-by-step process towards the ultimate objective of general and complete disarmament on a global basis, could serve as an important complement to wider multilateral efforts to realize that objective. Moreover, in view of the complex nature of the disarmament problem and the varying political and security considerations and arrangements in different regions, it has appeared, increasingly, that in some cases questions of arms limitation and disarmament might be handled more easily within a regional framework than by attempting to apply broad concepts to widely differing situations.

Related Subject(s): Disarmament