Bill Clinton photo

Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

March 28, 1994

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

I am pleased to transmit the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) Annual Report for 1993.

As a national security agency, ACDA works in collaboration with the Department of State and with other agencies of the U.S. Government. This report addresses ACDA's part in national security policy development and implementation.

On July 3, 1993, after a comprehensive review, I decided to strengthen and revitalize ACDA in order for it to play an active role in meeting the arms control and nonproliferation challenges of the post-Cold War era.

This report, although mandated by current law, reflects new priorities for ACDA in pending legislation. This legislation was initially developed under the leadership of the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Claiborne Pell, has received wide bipartisan support in both Houses of Congress, and has now been approved by the Senate.

The ACDA's revitalization reaffirms and strengthens the agency's key function in developing and implementing arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament policies. A specialized, technically competent, and independent arms control institution remains important to the Nation.

The ACDA's responsibilities include:

—Providing advice:

—the ACDA Director acts as principal adviser to the President and the Secretary of State on arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament;

—the ACDA provides legal advisers to arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament negotiations.

—Negotiating:

—leading the U.S. Comprehensive Test Ban negotiating team at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva;

—leading the U.S. negotiating team at the 1995 Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons Conference;

—chairing the Washington backstopping (policy support) group for the Conference on Disarmament;

—participating in the Safety, Security, and Dismantlement Talks.

—Implementing and verifying:

—leading the U.S. delegation to the Chemical Weapons Convention Preparatory Commission, and to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that will succeed it;

—leading the U.S. delegations to all meetings and conferences on the Biological Weapons Convention;

—leading the U.S. delegations to the Joint Compliance and Inspection Commission of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty;

—leading the U.S. delegation to the Special Verification Commission of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty;

—leading the U.S. component of the Standing Consultative Commission of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty;

—leading the U.S. delegation to the Bilateral Consultative Commission of the Threshold Nuclear Test Ban Treaty;

—drafting, with interagency coordination, the Annual Report to Congress on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control Agreements;

—providing the Principal Deputy Director of the On-Site Inspection Agency;

—participating in the U.S. delegation to the Joint Consultative Group of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty;

—participating in the U.S. delegation to the Open Skies Consultative Commission of the Open Skies Treaty.

—Controlling exports:

—participating in meetings of the Zangger Committee and the Nuclear Suppliers Group on nuclear weapons related exports;

—participating in meetings of the Australia Group on chemical and biological weapons related exports;

—participating in the meetings of the Missile Technology Control Regime.

—Coordinating and reporting on research on arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament.

—Informing and educating the public:

—leading the Interagency Working Group on Public Diplomacy for Arms Control and Nonproliferation;

—publishing extensively on arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament.

My decision to strengthen and revitalize ACDA, combined with continued congressional support, will help the U.S. Government move vigorously to eliminate the overarmament of the Cold War, stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and apply arms control solutions to regional problems.

The report offers a summary of the broad range of complex issues that ACDA deals with each day; I commend it to your attention.

Sincerely,

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

NOTE: Identical letters were sent to Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate.

William J. Clinton, Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/218631

Filed Under

Categories

Attributes

Simple Search of Our Archives