Export Controls Needed on WMD Materials, Downer Says

Export controls are a crucial component in the effort to block terrorists from obtaining and using chemical and biological weapons, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today (see GSN, March 31).

“Chemical and biological weapons present a real and deadly threat,” Downer said in a statement, according to Agence France-Presse. “Terrorists, including in our region, are intent on developing CBW capabilities, while proliferators are using increasingly sophisticated means to source the ingredients for weapons of mass destruction.”

Downer spoke at the opening of this week’s meeting of the Australia Group, an informal organization of 38 nations and the European Commission that works to block proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.

Coordination by member states on export controls has reduced the chances for terrorists to obtain chemical or biological weapons parts, Downer said, according to AFP. However, telecommunications improvements and opportunities for international travel sustain the ability to pass on weapon-related information, he said.

“Fresh thinking is required to ensure that adequate measures are in place to prevent the unauthorized transfer of sensitive technologies and know-how,” Downer said.

The Australia Group meeting will continue through Thursday (Agence France-Presse, April 18).

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