[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book I)]
[March 28, 1994]
[Pages 558-559]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report of the 
United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
March 28, 1994

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
    I am pleased to transmit the United States Arms Control and 
Disarmament Agency (ACDA) Annual Report for 1993.
    As a national security agency, ACDA works in collaboration with the 
Department of State and with other agencies of the U.S. Government. This 
report addresses ACDA's part in national security policy development and 
implementation.
    On July 3, 1993, after a comprehensive review, I decided to 
strengthen and revitalize ACDA in order for it to play an active role in 
meeting the arms control and nonproliferation challenges of the post-
Cold War era.
    This report, although mandated by current law, reflects new 
priorities for ACDA in pending legislation. This legislation was 
initially developed under the leadership of the Chairman of the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Claiborne Pell, has received wide 
bipartisan support in both Houses of Congress, and has now been approved 
by the Senate.
    The ACDA's revitalization reaffirms and strengthens the agency's key 
function in developing and implementing arms control, nonproliferation, 
and disarmament policies. A specialized, technically competent, and 
independent arms control institution remains important to the Nation.
    The ACDA's responsibilities include:
    --Providing advice:
        --the ACDA Director acts as principal adviser to the President 
            and the Secretary of State on arms control, 
            nonproliferation, and disarmament;
        --the ACDA provides legal advisers to arms control, 
            nonproliferation, and disarmament negotiations.
    --Negotiating:
        --leading the U.S. Comprehensive Test Ban negotiating team at 
            the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva;
        --leading the U.S. negotiating team at the 1995 Treaty on the 
            Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons Conference;
        --chairing the Washington backstopping (policy support) group 
            for the Conference on Disarmament;
        --participating in the Safety, Security, and Dismantlement 
            Talks.
    --Implementing and verifying:
        --leading the U.S. delegation to the Chemical Weapons Convention 
            Preparatory Commission, and to the Organization for the 
            Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that will succeed it;
        --leading the U.S. delegations to all meetings and conferences 
            on the Biological Weapons Convention;
        --leading the U.S. delegations to the Joint Compliance and 
            Inspection Commission of the Strategic Arms Reduction 
            Treaty;
        --leading the U.S. delegation to the Special Verification 
            Commission of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty;
        --leading the U.S. component of the Standing Consultative 
            Commission of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty;
        --leading the U.S. delegation to the Bilateral Consultative 
            Commission of the Threshold Nuclear Test Ban Treaty;
        --drafting, with interagency coordination, the Annual Report to 
            Congress on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control 
            Agreements;
        --providing the Principal Deputy Director of the On-Site 
            Inspection Agency;
        --participating in the U.S. delegation to the Joint Consultative 
            Group of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty;

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        --participating in the U.S. delegation to the Open Skies 
            Consultative Commission of the Open Skies Treaty.
    --Controlling exports:
        --participating in meetings of the Zangger Committee and the 
            Nuclear Suppliers Group on nuclear weapons related exports;
        --participating in meetings of the Australia Group on chemical 
            and biological weapons related exports;
        --participating in the meetings of the Missile Technology 
            Control Regime.
    --Coordinating and reporting on research on arms control, 
        nonproliferation, and disarmament.
    --Informing and educating the public:
        --leading the Interagency Working Group on Public Diplomacy for 
            Arms Control and Nonproliferation;
        --publishing extensively on arms control, nonproliferation, and 
            disarmament.
    My decision to strengthen and revitalize ACDA, combined with 
continued congressional support, will help the U.S. Government move 
vigorously to eliminate the overarmament of the Cold War, stem the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of 
delivery, and apply arms control solutions to regional problems.
    The report offers a summary of the broad range of complex issues 
that ACDA deals with each day; I commend it to your attention.
    Sincerely,

                                                      William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate.