THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF MILITARY OR ANY OTHER HOSTILE USE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

The Convention was signed in Geneva on May 18, 1977. It made an important contribution to preventing the arms race and improving the natural environment.

The states-participants in the Convention undertook not to resort to military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques, which have broad, long-term or serious consequences as ways of destroying, damaging or inflicting harm on any other participating state through deliberate manipulation of natural processes -- the dynamics, composition or structure of the Earth, including its biota, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere or space.

The Convention poses no obstacles to the use of environmental modification techniques for peaceful purposes and does not affect the generally recognized principles and the applicable rules of international law concerning such uses.

May 18, 2002