Curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction is one of the greatest security challenges facing the international community today. This paper highlights the extent and nature of the contemporary threat posed by WMD and Australia's multidimensional strategy to address that threat.

The North Korean decision to restart its nuclear program and to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty could potentially destabilise the North East Asian region. The crisis re-emphasises the importance of the region to Australian trade and security interests.

This 1981 report provides a rare frank, detailed, comprehensive and accessible account of the major national security questions facing Australia, at a time when such discussions were often confined to closed bureaucracies.