I ... •A/40/535 English Page6 LETTER OFTRANSMITTAL 26July1985 Sir, Ihavethehonourtosubmitherewith thereportoftheGroupofGovernmental Experts toCarryOutaComprehensive StudyontheNavalArmsRace,NavalForces and NavalArmsSystems, whichwasappointed byyouinpursuance ofparagraph 1of General Assembly resolution 38/188Gof20December 1983. Thegovernmental experts appointed inaccordance withtheGeneral Assembly resolution werethefollowing: Mr.Al1Alatas Ambassador Permanent Representative ofIndonesia totheUnitedNations NewYork Mr.HerveCoutau-Begarie Chargedeconferences al'Ecole Pratique desHautesEtudes(lyeSection) Paris. France Mr.DengSanRui Professor ofNavalArchitecture HarbinShipbuilding Engineering Harbin China" Institutei Mr.Minko-Mi-Endamne Ambassador Director-General oftheLawoftheSea Ministere desDomaines, duCadastre, de Charge dudroitdelamer GabonI l'~rban1Sme i, Mr.JanPrawitz Sp{cial Assistant forDisarmament Ministry ofDefence SwedenMr.JorqeMorelli-Pando "Ambass,*dor ofPerutoAustria andtoInternational Organt'zations inYienna i 1 1 1 Mr.JanHendrik vanRede Commodore (ret.) RoyalNetherlands Navy Netherlands HisExcellency JavierPerezdeCuellar Secretary-General oftheUnitedNations NewYork" ••/.....A/40/535 English Page7 Thereportwasprepared between April1984andJuly1985during whichperiod theGroupheldfoursessions, thefirstfrom9to13April1984,thesecond from 15to26October 1984,thethirdfrom4to15March1985andthefourth from17to 26July1985.Allsessions wereheldinNewYork,withtheexception ofthesecond session whichwasheldatGeneva. Themembers oftheGroupofExperts wishtoexpress theirgratitude forthe assistance whichtheyreceived frommembers oftheSecretariat oftheUnited Nations. Theywish,inparticular, tothankMr.JanMartenson, Under-Secretary-General forDisarmament Affairs, Mr.DerekBoothby, whoservedas Secretary oftheGroup, andMr.L.Dolliver NelsonoftheLawoftheSea Secretariat. InthecourseofitsworktheGroupdecided tocommission anumberof consultants, eitherasindividuals oronbehalfofnational institutions, to present paperstotheGroupand,wherepracticable, toparticipate inseminar discussions atthesecondandthirdsessions. Themembera oftheGroupfeltthat thisarrangement washighlybeneficial ,andaninformative meansofbroadening the Group's knowledge Onvarious aspects ofthetopic. Inthisregard, themembers of theGroupwishtO'express special appreciation tothefollowing individuals: Mr.BarryBlechman oftheGeorgetown CenterforStrategic andJnternational Studies, Washington, D.C.;Sir~amesCable,freeiance author oninternational and navalaftairs, Cambridge, England; Dr.VojinDimitrijevic onbehalfofthe Institute forInternational Politics andEconomics, Belgrade, Y.goslavia; Mr.Gunnae Gunnarsson oftheIcelandic Commission onSecu~ity andInternational Affairs, Reykjavik, Iceland; Dr.HiranW.Jayewardene oftheNational Aauatic Resources Agency, Colombo, SriLanka; andAdmiral Fernando'A. MiliaoftheConsejo Argentino paralasRelaciones Internationales, BuenosAires. Similar invitations werealsoextended informally toothernational institutions bUtmetwithno response. A Itiswithsatisfaction thatIamabletoinformyoJ;,onbehalfofallmembers oftheGroup,thatthereportasawholehasbeenadopted byconsensus • Pleaseaccept, Sir,theassurances ofmyhighest consideration. (Sighed) A.ALATAS Chairman oftheGroupof Governmental Experts toCarryOutaComprehensive Study , onthe,Nava~ArmsRace,NavalForces andNavalArmsSystems I...A/40/535 English Page8 CHAPTER I GENERAL BACKGROUND ANDSETTING 1.Byresolution 38/188 Gof20Decemher 1983theGeneral Assembly reauested the Secretary-General, withtheassistance ofqualified governmental experts, tocarry outacomprehensive studyonthenavalarmsrace,onnavalforces andnavalarms systems, including maritime nuclear-weapons systems, aswellasonthedevelopment, deployment andmodeofoperation ofsuchnavalforces andsystems. Thesame operative paragraph madeclearthatthestudyshould becarried outwithaviewto analysing thepossible implications ofthesefactors forinternational security, forthefreedom ofthehighseas,forinternational shipping routesandforthe exploitation ofmarineresources, thereby facilitating theidentification of
**Analysis**
This document appears to be a report on a comprehensive study on the naval arms race, naval forces, and naval arms systems, commissioned by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The report discusses the development, deployment, and mode of operation of naval forces and systems, including maritime nuclear-weapons systems, and analyzes the implications of these factors for international security, the freedom of the high seas, international shipping routes, and the exploitation of marine resources.

**Category**
Transport, International relations