SRE-SE Joint Statement México, D.F., 12th of August, 2013
• Mexico becomes the 42nd Member of the Australia Group (AG), the international regime dedicated to the implementation of export controls on chemical substances, biological agents, vegetable and animal pathogens, and related technologies.
• As a globally responsible actor, Mexico reiterates its commitment to international security and stability, and joins the efforts against the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons, their components and dual use goods.
• The AG will contribute towards boosting the competitiveness of the national export industry by strengthening the platform for the continued and controlled development of cutting edge technology, particularly in the sectors that utilize chemical substances, biological agents and technologies controlled by the Group.
The Government of Mexico has been admitted as a full member of the Australia Group (AG) after having garnered the unanimous support of the 40 Participating States and the European Commission during the Group’s Plenary Meeting held in Paris from June the 3rd to the 7th of the present year. This admittance successfully concludes the admission process that formally began on June 5th of 2012.
In order to successfully finalize Mexico’s entry into the Group, the Federal Government adapted the national legal framework to meet international export control standards, a process which took two years to complete.
The AG is an informal group of countries established in 1985 with the purpose of reducing the risk of the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons, through the monitoring and application of control measures to the exports of certain chemical substances, biological agents, as well as the equipment necessary for their production.
In joining the AG, Mexico reaffirms its role as a globally responsible actor and fulfills its obligations under the regime established by UN Security Council Resolution 1540, as well as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention; at the same time as it participates in mechanisms and initiatives to promote international security.
Besides contributing to the global objectives of chemical and biological weapons non-proliferation, AG Participants consider that agreements that regulate exports are a fundamental means to guarantee the legitimate commerce of the pertinent materials. A more controlled commerce of these materials allows the Mexican industry to acquire greater safety and competitiveness by strengthening the platform for the continued and controlled development of cutting edge technology, particularly in the sectors that utilize chemical substances, biological agents and technologies controlled by the Group.
Mexico’s entry into this mechanism is the result of the joint efforts of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, of the Economy; of the Environment and Natural Resources; of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food; and of Health
In 2012, Mexico exported over 3 billion dollars’ worth of dual use goods related to the AG chemical and biological control lists, such as: pesticides, fermenters, centrifugal separators, heat exchangers and various percussive chemical substances, among others.
With its admittance, Mexico joins Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Republic of Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and The United States.
Further information on the Australia Group is available at www.australiagroup.net.