§5602 Multilateral efforts

Summary

The United States must work with other countries to stop the spread of chemical and biological weapons. It will push for agreements that ban selling missiles that can carry chemical or biological warheads. It makes finishing a global ban on chemical weapons — covering their use, development, production, and stockpiling — a top priority. It will help set up international monitoring and reporting of trade in equipment, materials, and technology that could be used to make such weapons. It also supports multilateral sanctions under United Nations Security Council Resolution 620 against any country that uses chemical weapons. The United States will also strengthen controls on chemical agents, precursors, and related equipment by using diplomacy. It will keep seeking a verifiable global ban at the 40-nation Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and support the Australia Group’s work to stop chemical-warfare trade and protect industry. To do this, it may propose steps that add to other efforts, such as harmonizing export rules, placing liaison officers in missions, working with industry, publishing an unclassified warning list of controlled chemicals and equipment, sharing information on suspected proliferators, keeping a denial list of violators, and cooperating with like-minded countries. It will seek stricter export controls and tougher multilateral sanctions against firms, people, or countries that break these controls or use chemical weapons.