Secretariat

Extract

Secretary-General Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold in the introduction to his thirteenth annual report on the work of the Organization, June 16, 1957–June 15, 1958/ drew attention to some aspects of recent developments since the opening of the twelfth session of the General Assembly. He first dealt with the question of disarmament, observing that although new and serious difficulties had arisen to prevent pursuing the work in forms which had been followed in past years, efforts had been made Co approach one aspect of the problem from a new angle. In this context he referred to the meeting of experts from eight countries, representing both sides, which had convened in Geneva in the summer of 1958 to study the technical possibility of detecting violations of a possible agreement to suspend nuclear weapons tests. These experts agreed on what would be needed, from the technical point of view, and thus, by isolating certain non-political, scientific elements from the politically controversial elements in the total problem of disarmament, reduced the area of conflict some what. Mr. Hammarskjold suggested that it might be worth considering whether those elements of the problem of disarmament lending themselves to objective study by experts in science and technology, in military experience, and in law might not be singled out for separate treatment in a similar manner. The Secretary General noted that with the successful conclusion of the technical discussions at Geneva, all the present atomic powers had taken initiatives in the direction of a suspension of further weapons tests. The growing awareness of the increasing dangers of the continuing arms race might, Mr. Hammarskjold remarked, be reflected in the debates of the UN, were the General Assembly to resume discussion of disarmament under the item which he had proposed for the thirteenth session.