Conflicts and militarism.

Armed conflicts are another major obstacle to social progress and development. The Declaration on Social Progress and Development stressed the urgency of devoting to "works of peace and social progress" resources currently being "wasted" on armaments, conflict and destruction.

Since World War II, there has been no discernible trend towards fewer conflicts; most of the armed struggles have occurred in the poorer countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. In 1983, according to one count, there were 40 separate conflicts, involving 75 countries and about 4 million soldiers, among them soldiers of eight countries fighting on foreign soil.

Of those 40 armed conflicts, which have cumulatively claimed at least 1 million lives and possibly several times that number, only five were fought between regular forces of two or more countries. The most serious was the war between Iran and Iraq; the other four were mainly border skirmishes that did not lead to full-scale hostilities. of the remaining conflicts, 23 were between government and guerrilla forces; six were separatist conflicts; another six were separatist conflicts that also involved guerrilla forces.

Conflicts have displaced people from their homes or countries by the thousands and the millions, contributing in many instances to their destitution. Poor countries have been overwhelmed by the influx of refugees who have little chance of returning home or of resettling quickly in countries more easily able to support them. The common legacy of armed conflict has been more bitterly divided society, discredited authority, debased institutions and brutalized populations, lawlessness, and a surfet of arms.

A characteristic of the post-World War II period as a whole is the prevalence of "irregular" wars. Parties to such conflicts have not felt bound by any rules of conduct. Sobotage, destruction of infrastructure and food supplies, terror campaigns against civilians, assassination and kidnapping of prominent civil and political leaders have been common weapons of separatist movements, insurgents, terrorists, guerrillas and freedom-fighters. Authorities have frequently responded by abrogation of civil rights, mass detention, unleashing of "death squads" and bombing of civilian areas sheltering military opponents.

There have been many instances of governments being overthrown by violence, and governments brought to power by coup d'etat frequently have departed the same way. In 1983, there were 56...