Catalogue description Department of Trade and Industry: Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, Australia Group (UJ Prefix Series)

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Details of NK 116
Reference: NK 116
Title: Department of Trade and Industry: Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, Australia Group (UJ Prefix Series)
Description:

These records relate to the UK's adoption of an international convention: The Chemical Weapons Convention. The records cover international aspects such as adoption, ratification, trade controls, licensing, and verification inspections carried out to meet the conditions of the Convention. This involves communications with the international administrative body responsible; the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Records contain verification inspections of UK laboratories and ex-military bases that at one time held chemical munitions both in the UK and abroad.

On the domestic side the records contain work to implement the UK’s Chemical Weapons Act 1996 and its extension to the UK’s Dependent Territories. Policy development and interaction with chemical manufacturers in industry and other stakeholders, such as healthcare settings and museums.

Date: 1991-2001
Former reference in its original department: UJ
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Creator:

Department of Trade and Industry, 1983-2007

Department of Trade and Industry; XNP2c, Chemical Weapons Convention National Authority, 1994-2007
Access conditions: Records not yet transferred
Custodial history: Since creation of the Chemical Weapons Convention UK National Authority, responsibility has been placed under the following Departments: 1994-2007 Department of Trade and Industry; 2007-2008 Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; 2008 – 2016 Department for Energy and Climate Change; 2016 - Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Administrative / biographical background:

In 1994 the Export and Non Proliferation Directorate was formed from elements of the Energy Command, Chemical and Biotechnology Division and Export Control Organisation (OT2). This new team was named XNP2c – Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, Australia Group. The team inherited some minor functions from the Chemical and Biotechnology Division CB2b (Industrial Competitiveness in Bio-Industries). The team also gained some functions from Export Control Organisation. However their primary responsibility was to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention.

XNP2c's responsibilities focused on the policy and implementation of standards and practices in line with the non-proliferation of chemical and biological weapons. XNP2c, acting as the UK National Authority, implemented the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) in the UK and its' Dependent Territories. The UK National Authority met the Chemical Weapons Convention by meeting the verification and inspection standards as prescribed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

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