This report is a succinct summary of action taken by the 34th General Assembly of the United Nations. It is intended for use by members of UN delegations, UN secretariat staff, policy makers, scholars, students, and members of the public interested in global problems and world issues. The report provides an accurate record of actions taken, including key phraseology of the resolutions and the nature of the vote or action taken, and also gives background and past history of the items discussed, sufficient for general understanding without reference to other sources. Some highlights of the Assembly follow. In his annual "state of the world" message, the Secretary General Kurt Waldheim stated that "the primary objective of the United Nations must remain the survival of the human race and its environment in the best possible conditions." The two most popular speakers of the Assembly were Pope John Paul III and Fidel Castro. On the disarmament issue the UN approved Salt II and the comprehensive test-ban treaty (CTB). The UN seated the representatives of the former Pol Pot regime of Cambodia, accused of the massacre of millions, in preference to one sponsored by invading Vietnamese. Appeals were addressed to Iran for the release of the U.S. hostages. The Assembly adopted a USSR-sponsored resolution condeming "Hegemonism" in violation of which the USSR itself was soon to stand condemned over Afghanistan. The session plans to continue negotiations on a New International Economic Order. Costa Rica's offer to establish a new University for Peace was accepted. International Youth Year was designated for 1958. The maneuvers of South Africa concerning Namibia were condemned and the Security Council was asked to prevent South Africa from gaining nuclear weapons. The UN welcomed the peace settlement in Rhodesia. (Author/RM)