[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 7 (Monday, February 17, 2003)]
[Pages 195-196]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress Reporting a Certification Required by the 
Ratification Resolution of the Chemical Weapons Convention

February 12, 2003

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:

[[Page 196]]

    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.

Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
February 13.