9. These features of the earlrer reports have retained their entire validity.The threat of a nuclear war due to an accident, a niscalculation or an act ofstrategy continues to persist. The security preoccupacions of the najor arns raceParticipants, particularly in the nuclear fiefa, have been aggravated by theincretnental improvenents and radicat innovations of existing arsenars.Technological advances in the nilitary sector are running ahead of the process ofdisarnanent negotiations. strategic considerations are negativer.y affecting lheProspects of nutuarry advantageous internacional ecoiomic rerations among states.And the vast problems of accererating the process of socro-€conomic deveioprnent,Particularly of the developing countiies, continue to be subordinated to theexpanding crains of the arms race on grobal resources - hunan and materiaL. A/37/3e6 Engl ish Annex Page 7 10. But the politico-strategic and soc io-conomic context in wtrlch the 1977 report is being updaied is very difierent fron that prevaillng aluring the uldating of the 197I report: (a) world nititary spenaling during the past four years has risen faster than in the four years precedin-g it. -rni" trend marks a contrast not only in terms of a global lncrease in real teirns, but is also due to an increase in the milltary spentllngofthedevelopedworltlwhichduringthelgTosexperlencedalevellingoff over a rapia rise in military exPenditure during the 1960s' (b) Thb international potltical cllmate is excePtionally grave' The I980s started vfith severe setoacks to the process of d6tente as developed throughout the 1970s. The guarded optimism generated by the successfuL culmination of the Helsinki conference "" s.cuifiv and co-oieration in Europe in 1975 dld not keeP its prornise. whlle the rnajor polilical backalroP in 1977 nas the ttelsinkl Accords con€olldating the process of adtente characterizlng inter-EuroPean relations' a conspicuous feature of the fol]ow-uP neetings of the Conference 3t ua'lrid' in the early 1980s' yras the serious atifficultles in naintaining and reviving that pol icy of ddtente. (c) The existing hotbeds of crises in various Parts of the world have been exacerbated by the increasing tension and confrontational Postures of the leading arms race participants. -ililt"gl" calculations to detertnine. capture and control
**Analysis**
The text primarily discusses the threat of a nuclear war, the arms race, and its impact on international relations, economy, and development. It highlights the increasing tension and confrontational postures of major arms race participants, which is exacerbating existing crises around the world. The text also mentions the need for disarmament negotiations and the challenges in accelerating socio-economic development, particularly in developing countries.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade, Science and technology