[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 96 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8078-S8079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION

  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as the ranking member of the Subcommittee 
on International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services, I want 
to stress the importance of the United States implementing in a timely 
manner the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, 
Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their 
Destruction, commonly referred as the Chemical Weapons Convention 
(CWC).
  The Convention is an important multilateral agreement that serves to 
reduce the threat posed by chemical

[[Page S8079]]

weapons. It bans the development, production, stockpiling, and use of 
chemical weapons by signatory states. The Convention also requires the 
destruction of all chemical weapons and production facilities by 
signatory states.
  The Convention does not, however, prohibit the manufacture, use, and 
consumption of chemicals that could be used as warfare agents or their 
precursor chemicals as long as these chemicals are used for legitimate 
peaceful purposes.
  Although the Convention has been in force for 2\1/2\ years, the 
United States is not in the compliance because the administration has 
not yet submitted the required industrial declarations to the 
International Organization on the Proliferation of Chemical Weapons. 
This is a disappointment since the United States played a central role 
in spearheading development of this treaty.
  Most of our allies have complied with their treaty obligations, but 
it is likely that they will not agree to a second round of inspections 
until the United States has submitted declarations and U.S. industry 
has undergone inspections.
  The United States has the largest chemical industry in the world. 
This industry is involved in legitimate production, use, consumption, 
export and import of chemicals subject to verification under the 
Convention. The United States must serve as a model of compliance with 
the Convention to build confidence with our friends and foes and also 
to ensure that chemical weapons are never used again.
  On June 25, 1999, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13128 to 
implement the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act of 1998, 
which Congress passed on October 21, 1998.
  However, the administration still has not issued regulations for 
industry to comply with the declaration and inspection requirements 
under the treaty.
  The American chemical industry is poised to comply with our treaty 
obligations. I hope the administration quickly issues these regulations 
so the United States is in compliance with our treaty obligations.

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