Australia Group (AG) and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

BASIS OF THE CONTROL LIST

The Australia Group (AG) was established in 1985 as an informal forum for like-minded countries/ places to exchange information and to harmonise export control measures on chemical weapon (CW) precursors. Its scope was later extended to include controls on chemical production equipment and technology that could be used for chemical weapons purposes. The scope was extended again in 1990 to include controls on biological weapons agents, precursors and production equipment. The AG currently maintains controls on the following items :

• chemical weapon precursors
• biological agents (including human/animal/plant pathogens, zoonoses and toxins, etc.)
• chemical and biological manufacturing equipment and related technology

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) prohibits the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention and direct or indirect transfer of chemical weapons. It also prohibits the use or military preparations of chemical weapons and the assistance, encouragement, or inducement of anyone else to engage in activities prohibited by the CWC. The CWC was signed by 150 states in Paris on 12 January 1993 and entered into force on 29 April 1997. As at 1 November 2004, 166 states are States Parties to the CWC.

Hong Kong's policy is to work with others in the international community to prevent chemical/biological weapons proliferation. Our principal concern is that transhipment of these items through Hong Kong to certain destinations may contribute to the proliferation of these weapons of mass destruction. To monitor shipment of concern, the Government maintains controls on the import and export of these goods.