A/RES/52/38 Page 8 Recalling also that, there being a consensus to do so in each case, three special sessions of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament were held in 1978, 1982 and 1988, respectively, Bearing in mind the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly,10 the first special session devoted to disarmament, and the objective of general and complete disarmament under effective international control, Welcoming the recent positive changes in the international landscape, characterized by the end of the cold war, the relaxation of tensions at the global level and the emergence of a new spirit governing relations among nations, Taking note of paragraph 108 of the Final Document of the Eleventh Conference of Heads of State or Government of the Non-Aligned Countries, held at Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from 18 to 20 October 1995,12 which supported the convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament in 1997, which would offer an opportunity to review, from a perspective more in tune with the current international situation, the most critical aspects of the process of disarmament and to mobilize the international community and public opinion in favour of the elimination of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and of the control and reduction of conventional weapons, Taking note also of the report of the 1997 substantive session of the Disarmament Commission on the item entitled "Fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament",15 Desiring to build upon the substantive exchange of views on the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament during the 1997 substantive session of the Disarmament Commission, Reiterating its conviction that a special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament can set the future course of action in the field of disarmament, arms control and related international security matters, Emphasizing the importance of multilateralism in the process of disarmament and arms control, peace and security, Noting that, with the completion of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction6 and in 1996, the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty,16 as well as of amended Protocol II17 and new Protocol IV17 to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects,3 the following years would be opportune for the international community to start the process of reviewing the state of affairs in the entire field of disarmament and arms control in the post-cold-war era, 1. Decides, subject to the emergence of a consensus on its objectives and agenda, to convene the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament; 15 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Supplement No. 42 (A/52/42), para. 44. 16 See resolution 50/245. 17 See CCW/CONF.I/16 (Part I). /...