[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[May 20, 1992]
[Page 806]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 806]]

Message to the Congress Reporting on the National Emergency With Respect 
to Chemical and Biological Weapons Proliferation

May 20, 1992
To the Congress of the United States:
    On November 16, 1990, in light of the dangers of the proliferation 
of chemical and biological weapons, I issued Executive Order No. 12735 
and declared a national emergency under the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701, et seq.).
    The proliferation of chemical and biological weapons continues to 
pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and 
foreign policy of the United States.
    Section 204 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and 
section 401(c) of the National Emergencies Act contain periodic 
reporting requirements regarding activities taken and money spent 
pursuant to an emergency declaration. The following report is made 
pursuant to these provisions.
    The three export control regulations issued under the Enhanced 
Proliferation Control Initiative are fully in force and have been used 
to control the export of items with potential use in chemical or 
biological weapons or their delivery systems.
    Over the last 6 months, the United States has continued to address 
actively the problem of the proliferation and use of chemical and 
biological weapons in its international diplomatic efforts.
    The membership of the Australia Group of countries cooperating 
against chemical and biological weapons proliferation grew from 20 to 22 
members when Finland and Sweden were welcomed into the Group in December 
1991.
    At the same December 1991 Australia Group meeting, all member 
countries confirmed that they had implemented or were implementing 
export controls on all 50 identified chemical weapons precursors. Almost 
all Australia Group members agreed at the meeting to impose controls on 
a common list of dual-use chemical equipment. In the first major 
Australia Group involvement in biological weapons nonproliferation, the 
December meeting also produced a draft list of biological organisms, 
toxins, and equipment to consider for export controls. This list was 
further refined by an Australia Group experts' meeting in March 1992, 
the first intersessional meeting held by the Australia Group, and will 
be considered for adoption by the June 1992 Australia Group plenary.
    Encouraging progress can also be reported in the steps taken by 
countries outside the Australia Group, including several Eastern 
European countries and Argentina, to establish effective chemical and 
biological export controls comparable to those observed by Australia 
Group members.
    Finally, the March 31, 1992, report regarding expenditures under the 
declaration of a national emergency to deal with the lapse of the Export 
Administration Act in Executive Order No. 12730 also includes measures 
related to the Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative. Pursuant to 
section 401(c) of the National Emergencies Act, there were no additional 
expenses directly attributable to the exercise of authorities conferred 
by the declaration of the national emergency.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
May 20, 1992.