ABSTRACT
Progress, or lack of progress, in the field of arms control is determined mainly by national interests. Policy decisions are a function of the interaction of various sectors of government; in the course of arms control negotiations, each side tries first to enlist the support of its own political and military establishments and sometimes also those of its allies. The 1978 General Assembly Special Session devoted to disarmament was convened to work out a disarmament strategy, to improve the machinery for discussing arms control and to stimulate public interest in disarmament. The World Health Organization conducts studies on specific arms control or military issues related to medical science and practice. Its report on the health aspects of chemical and biological weapons, issued in 1970, contributed significantly to the discussion of the ban on these weapons. The United Nations may organize conferences to elaborate agreements on specific arms control measures.
