Conventional weapons

While the problem of the reduction of conventional armaments and armed forces was first addressed by the General Assembly during its earliest sessions, the parallel questions of nuclear disarmament and prohibiting weapons of mass destruction have dominated international disarmament efforts since then. Yet, all military conflicts since 1945 have been fought with nonnuclear weapons and the global annual military expenditure on such armaments is estimated to account for over 80 per cent of total annual military expenditure. While conventional war would not appear to threaten the survival of mankind as might a nuclear war, its potential destructiveness has greatly increased with the development of ever more powerful conventional arms.

Related Subject(s): Disarmament