(The following fact sheet on existing nonproliferation efforts was issued July 13 by the White House.)
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In the past year, China, South Africa, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and other new parties brought NPT membership to 149. France will soon be a party. In the START Protocol signed in Lisbon, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine agreed to join the NPT as nonnuclear weapon states.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA confirmed its right to conduct "special inspections" at undeclared nuclear facilities. Argentina and Brazil reversed longstanding positions to adopt full-scope IAEA safeguards. After years of delay, North Korea finally complied with its NPT obligations to ratify an IAEA safeguards agreement and accept IAEA inspections.
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). In April 1992, the 27 NSG members agreed to extend nuclear export controls to dual-use items, and to require full-scope IAEA safeguards as a condition of significant new nuclear supply.
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). The MTCR expanded its membership to 22, updated its export control list, and agreed to extend its focus to any missile intended to deliver weapons of mass destruction. China, Argentina, and Israel have pledged to observe the MTCR guidelines.
Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative (EPCI). Under EPCI, the United States expanded its export controls to cover all 50 identified chemical weapon (CW) precursors, dual-use equipment relevant to chemical and biological weapons production, whole chemical plants, and knowing assistance to chemical or biological weapon or missile programs.
Strengthened national export controls. Several suppliers have strengthened their domestic export control laws and enforcement mechanisms. Several countries have adopted laws or regulations similar to our EPCI, which restrict assistance by their citizens to nuclear, chemical, biological, or missile programs.
Australia Group. The Australia Group expanded its membership to 22 nations, and followed the U.S. lead in EPCI by expanding its export controls to cover the 50 chemical weapon precursors as well as CW-related dual-use equipment. The group has just adopted a multilateral control list of biological organisms, toxins, and equipment.
Middle East Arms Control Initiative. In May 1991, the president launched a process among the five leading conventional arms suppliers: The United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China. In October, the five agreed to observe guidelines of restraint in conventional transfers and to information exchange. In May 1992, the five agreed to interim guidelines for exports related to weapons of mass destruction. Under the Middle East peace process, 23 delegations (including Israel and 12 Arab states) gathered in Washington in May 1992 to discuss regional security and arms control.
United Nations. The U.N. Special Commission and the IAEA have carried out 39 inspections in Iraq, identified and begun to destroy tens of thousands of chemical munitions, destroyed missile-production equipment and over 150 missiles, revealed an extensive nuclear weapons program, and oversaw destruction of nuclear weapon-related facilities.
Latin America. In addition to adopting full-scope IAEA safeguards, Argentina and Brazil joined with Chile to ban chemical and biological weapons in their countries.