Australia's National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention

AG

Australia Group

AHECC

Australian Harmonised Export Commodity Classification. Australia and most countries use the international Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (the Harmonized System or HS) for the classification of internationally traded goods under the auspices of the World Customs Organisation (WCO). Australia uses extensions of the HS for statistical purposes and to produce the Combined Australian Customs Tariff Nomenclature and Statistical Classification (the Customs Tariff or the Tariff) to classify imports and the Australian Harmonized Export Commodity Classification (AHECC) to classify exports.

ASNO

Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office

Challenge Inspections

Under the CWC, an inspection that can be initiated by a State Party in order to resolve suspicions about a particular facility

Consumption

For CWC purposes, is defined as a process converting one chemical into another via bond rearrangement

CW

Chemical warfare

CWC

Chemical Weapons Convention

CWCO

Chemical Weapons Convention Office

DFAT

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

DOC

Discrete organic chemical. For CWC purposes, a DOC is defined as any chemical belonging to the class of chemical compounds consisting of all compounds of carbon, except for its oxides, sulfides and metal carbonates, identifiable by chemical name, by structural formula, if known, and by Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number, if assigned.

DOC/PSF

Discrete organic chemical containing phosphorus, sulfur or fluorine. This is a subset of chemicals covered under the definition for DOC

DTCC

Defence Trade Control and Compliance

Facility

A plant, plant site or production/processing unit. For legal reasons, the term “Facility” as it appears in the provisions of the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act 1994 has the same meaning as “plant site”.

Notification

Refers to the annual notification procedures for OCPFs under the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act 1994 and is a condition for import under Section 5J of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956.

OCPF

Other chemical production facility: a facility that produces discrete organic chemicals in quantities exceeding thresholds defined in the CWC.

OPCW

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague, in The Netherlands

Plant

For CWC purposes, is defined as a relatively self-contained area, structure or building containing one or more units for the production, processing or consumption of a chemical, along with associated infrastructure

Plant site

For CWC purposes, is defined as the local integration of one or more plants, with any intermediate administrative levels which are under one operational control and includes common infrastructure.

Processing

For CWC purposes, is defined as a physical process, such as formulation, extraction or purification in which the chemical is not converted into another chemical. Processing does not include activities such as sub-distribution and packaging.

Production

For CWC purposes, is defined as the formation of a chemical through a chemical reaction. Production of chemicals specified by the CWC is declarable, even if produced as intermediates and irrespective of whether or not they are isolated.

R&D

Research and development

Tariff Codes

Combined Australian Customs Tariff Nomenclature and Statistical Classification (the Customs Tariff or the Tariff) used to classify imports (see also AHECC).

WMD

Weapons of mass destruction. These include nuclear, chemical and biological agents or missiles capable of delivering such agents to be used as weapons