[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


CERTIFICATION REGARDING AUSTRALIA GROUP--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF 
                           THE UNITED STATES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States, which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, without objection, referred to the 
Committee on International Relations:
To the Congress of the United States:
  Consistent with the resolution of advice and consent to ratification 
of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, 
Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, 
adopted by the United States Senate on April 24, 1997, I hereby certify 
pursuant to Condition 7(C)(i), Effectiveness of the Australia Group, 
that:
  Australia Group members continue to maintain equally effective or 
more comprehensive controls over the export of: toxic chemicals and 
their precursors; dual-use processing equipment; human, animal, and 
plant pathogens and toxins with potential biological weapons 
applications; and dual-use biological equipment, as that afforded by 
the Australia Group as of April 25, 1997; and
  The Australia Group remains a viable mechanism for limiting the 
spread of chemical and biological weapons-related materials and 
technology, and the effectiveness of the Australia Group has not been 
undermined by changes in membership, lack of compliance with common 
export controls and nonproliferation measures, or the weakening of 
common controls and nonproliferation measures, in force as of April 25, 
1997.
  The factors underlying this certification are described in the 
enclosed statement of justification.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, February 12, 2003.

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