This report was requested of the Secretary-General by the General Assembly and presented to it in the autumn of 1980. It focuses on trends in the technological development of nuclear weapons, discusses the effects of their use, and questions the long-term viability of relying upon deterrence doctrine. Written by a panel of experts from 12 countries, it suffers from the nonparticipation of the nuclear power states. Exactly what purpose the report was intended to serve is not self-evident.