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This website is designed to guide users through the
area of international treaties, conventions, standards and guidelines
applicable to biotechnology. |
Title: The Australia Group |
Summary of Provisions:The Australia Group is an informal group of states working together to try to prevent inadvertent assistance to the production of chemical or biological weapons by other states. It aims to harmonise national export controls amongst its members to make them more effective. It has established 'common control lists' including 63 chemical weapons precursors and over 100 pathogens (of harm to humans, animals or plants), and also for equipment that could be used in weapons production. (http://www.australiagroup.net/agact.htm). The Australia Group views its actions (and those of all its members) as supportive of the 1925 Geneva Protocol, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, and complementary to their aims. It also serves to provide a forum for sharing information amongst member states. Summary of Development:Following Iraq's use of chemical weapons in the early 1980s, it was realised that it had got the means of producing such weapons from, "the international trade in chemicals and related equipment."(http://www.state.gov/t/np/rls/fs/2001/3528.htm) . This led to many countries instituting national export controls to prevent any repeat of such misuse. The Australia Group formed in 1985 to work towards harmonising such export controls, through concern that their lack of uniformity could be exploited. From 1990 onwards the group has worked on preventing biological weapons programs as well. (http://www.australiagroup.net/origins.htm). Meeting annually the group has grown from an original 15 members to its present 38 plus the European Commission. All the original Australia Group members are state parties to the 1925 Geneva Protocol, the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Current Status:38 participant states and the European Commission form the Australia Group. The participant states are predominantly western, developed nations. The Group's control lists are subject to amendment as is seen to be necessary. The Group encourages other states to implement similar export controls. Related Summaries on the Genomics Gateway Site:Chemical Weapons Convention Page last updated 10th January 2005. Comments/enquiries to peaceweb'at'bradford.ac.uk
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