UN General Assembly
1981

32. It is true that the international climate is less favorable today. At the same time, we cannot ignore the growing impatience of the world's peoples with the lack of progress towards verifiable arms limitation and disarmament agreements. Our efforts on their behalf should take into account the situation as it is in covering realistic proposals which have some substantive chance to effect change. The Canadian Government recently reaffirmed the validity of the concept of the strategy of suffocation mentioned in the Final Document of the first special session of the General Assembly on disarmament [resolution ; SJ0/2], Embracing that strategy are Canada's priorities on preparations for the second special session. They are: to encourage the continuation of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]; to promote the attainment of a multilateral comprehensive test ban treaty; to assist in the preparation of a convention on the prohibition of chemical weapons and on their destruction; to promote the evolution of an effective nonproliferation regime based on the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons; and to participate in. negotiations to limit and reduce conventional forces. Canada is committed to breaking the pattern of madness which spiraling rearmament represents, and those priorities will guide our endeavors to fulfill this commitment.