[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
[September 4, 2002]
[Page 1530]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1530]]


Message to the Congress Reporting a Certification Required by the 
Ratification Resolution of the Chemical Weapons Convention
September 4, 2002

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 Senate of the United States 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,

September 4, 2002.

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