During the reporting period, ASNO co-hosted with DFAT visits by the
head of each of the three most significant international bodies tasked,
together, with preventing the spread of nuclear and chemical weapons
worldwide.

Mr Bustani and Dr Shaw at ASNO

Dr ElBaradei, Director General of the IAEA - photgraph courtesy of IAEA

The Director-General of the OPCW, Mr Jos Bustani, visited
Australia in November 1999. He was followed by the Director
General of the IAEA, Dr Mohammed ElBaradei, who came here in
February 2000. Finally, the Executive Secretary of the CTBT
Preparatory Commission, Dr Wolfgang Hoffmann, visited in March
2000.

These visits involved discussions in Canberra with some accompanying
site-visits to relevant facilities across the country. The meetings
enabled ASNO to showcase both its technical excellence in each domain and the
synergies obtained from co-locating national authorities across the range of WMD
verification regimes.

Mr Bustani met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Downer, a
call he said was particularly valuable. He complimented ASNO on its
initiatives regarding a CWC public awareness campaign, and involvement in
regional and international work promoting effective implementation of the
Convention. While in Australia, Mr Bustani also presented a public
lecture on the CWC at the University of Sydney. Dr ElBaradei
expressed his deep satisfaction with the contribution made by ASNO to the IAEA
and to strengthening nuclear safeguards internationally. Dr ElBaradei
was particularly impressed at ASNO's efforts considering the small number of
staff. During Dr Hoffmanns visit he and Mr Downer signed a
facility arrangement covering establishment and operation of the international
monitoring system (IMS) sites in Australia, when he praised as excellent the
cooperation between Australia and his secretariat in Vienna.

Dr Hoffmann took advantage of his time in Australia to call on the
Western Australian Minister for the Environment, an important visit since
Western Australia will host a number of IMS stations covering the full gamut of
technologies (see page 107). Also he gave a public address to the Sydney
Institute.

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