text: lr' A major redeeming feature, honever, is the growing public awareness of thedangers of war, parti;utarly nuclear wai, and the adverse socio-econornicconsequences of a nindless arms race. Touched by an anxiety over the future and asense of helplessness over the present, people are coml.ng forward in newconbinatidls, and in ever larger nunbers, to "ecur. peace and to advocatealternative strategies for serving the econonic, political and nilitary purpo'eaconventionally expected to be served by national nilitary outlays. Ali over thenorrd' ahd even nore so anong the deveJ.opea countries, people cincerned withissues such as ernplo!'nent, econonic plani:ing, environment, health an. nediclne,and several other special interests, "r. r*Lili"ittg citizens and poriticizingarnameht-related issues. 6,/ peace novenent activi;ts are increasingiy q,restiorrirrsdecisions taken withln thi framework of an intensifying artns race, particurarly inthe nuclear f ield. L2. lb other aspect of the contemporary al:tls race has generated a noreco-ordinated public reaction than that acconpanying the grc,rring appr.ication ofscience and technorogy to the military sectoi. several factors have contributedtonards naking the issues related to science and technorogy pertaining to thenilitary sector different fron other issues corn..onry arouiing serious pubricconcern. In general, the rapid pace of change in nilitary tJchnology lreatesmlsgivings in the public mrnd about its poteitiarty dangerous side-effecrs. someof its irreversibr-e effecta nay not be imediatery visiure but nay have a lohg-terns@ia1 relevance. fUr example, the cumulative irnpact of nuclear testing on theozone lay€r goes far beyond the present predictive capacity of public understandingof the arrns race. l'lor is it possibre to foresee the impl i-cati.o-ns for personarprivacy of the growing securrty precautions surrounding miritary instailations. A/37/386 Engl ish Annex Page 9 t3. l,ioreover, the horizong of the percelved 9oa1s of nilitary technology and the limits of public understantling aboul its concrete and intangible implicationg sirnply do not coincide. Government secrecy about information Pertalning to the nifltiry sector is nostly uphelat on the groundls that only those parties having a special interest and conPetence should be alt4,ed access to the relevant iirformation. ?he gap belween those sections of society which directly or inalirectly contribute to the knd,rledge that constitutes the information withheld from the pubtic at large, and those ihose lives are affected by the application of this knc,rrtettge, continues unabated. Public anxiety in this resPect is aggravated
analysis: The text discusses the growing public awareness of the dangers of war and the adverse socio-economic consequences of a never-ending arms race. It also touches on the anxiety over the future and the sense of helplessness over the present. The text highlights the public's concern about the impact of science and technology on the military sector, particularly nuclear technology, and the consequences for personal privacy and the environment. These themes suggest that the text is more closely related to the categories of Science and Technology, and possibly also International relations.