I would like to stress that, both in my capacity as Canadian representative and in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee, I will make every effort to ensure that our work will be constructive, productive and useful. I proceed on the understanding that we must concentrate on exploring the subject before us in all its complexity and search for areas of convergence in our thinking. The differences that will emerge in the course of that exploratory process must also be pursued with a view to finding common ground. The Conference has not yet reached consensus on giving this Committee a negotating mandate. However, this should not prevent us from amassing the technical and other information we will need when this Committee becomes in fact entrusted with conducting multilateral negotiations on the prevention of an arms race in outer space. It is on the basis of such reasoning that Canada has regularly distributed to the Committee outer space compendiums comprising plenary statements and working papers. These have been circulated every year since 1985; they bring together documentation covering the period 1962-1988 inclusively. I am pleased to inform you that we are today distributing as a CD document the compendiums for 1989. This afternoon, we shall also be distributing in the Ad hoc Committee itself a compendium of those working papers submitted to it over the last four years. We hope that these volumes will be used by delegations to advance our work in this area. Next, I would like to speak to the negotiations on a chemical weapons convention, the subject to which most of us are devoting by far the greatest part of our time, and where we are, I believe, beginning to see increasing convergence of views . CD/PV.554 15 (Mr. Shannon. Canada )
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech by a Canadian representative in a multilateral conference, discussing the work of a committee on disarmament and arms control, specifically the prevention of an arms race in outer space and the negotiation of a chemical weapons convention. The language used is formal and diplomatic, indicating a focus on international relations and politics.

**Category**
Science and technology, International trade