Australia Group

The Australia Group is an informal group of countries (now joined by the European Commission) established in 1985 (after the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in 1984) to help member countries to identify those exports which need to be controlled so as not to contribute to the spread of chemical and biological weapons.

The group, initially consisting of 15 members, held its first meeting in Brussels, Belgium, in September 1989. With the incorporation of Mexico on August 12, 2013, it now has 42 members,[1] including all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members, the European Commission, all 28 member states of the European Union, Ukraine, and Argentina. The name comes from Australia's initiative to create the group. Australia manages the secretariat.

The initial members of the group had different assessments of which chemical precursors should be subject to export control. Later adherents initially had no such controls. Today, members of the group maintain export controls on a uniform list of 54 compounds, including several that are not prohibited for export under the Chemical Weapons Convention, but can be used in the manufacture of chemical weapons. In 2002, the group took two important steps to strengthen export control. The first was the "no-undercut" requirement, which stated that any member of the group considering making an export to another state that had already been denied an export by any other member of the group must first consult with that member state before approving the export. The second was the "catch-all" provision, which requires member states to halt all exports that could be used by importers in chemical or biological weapons programs, regardless of whether or not the export is on the group's control lists.[2] Delegations representing the members meet every year in Paris, France.[3]

Members

Participating States

Future Membership

During a state visit to India in November 2010, US president Barack Obama announced US support for India's bid for permanent membership to UN Security Council[4] as well as India's entry to Nuclear Suppliers Group, Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group and Missile Technology Control Regime.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Australia Group. Press release: México join the Australia Group. 12 August 2013.
  2. ↑ Arms Control Association, "The Australia Group at a Glance," September 2003, available at www.armscontrol.org/factssheets/australiagroup.asp
  3. ↑ Croddy, Eric (2002). Chemical and Biological Weapons: A Comprehensive Study for the Concerned Citizen. Copernicus Books. pp. 180–1. ISBN 0-387-95076-1.
  4. ↑ "Obama endorses India's bid for permanent seat in UNSC". The Times Of India. 8 November 2010.
  5. ↑ "Obama seeks expanded India-US trade". Al Jazeera English. 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 7 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  6. ↑ "Obama in Mumbai Calls India Market of the Future". Voice of America. 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 7 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.

External links

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