Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office

ASNO performs domestic regulatory functions to ensure that Australia is in compliance with international treaty commitments in relation to weapons of mass destruction and non-proliferation. ASNO reviews and develops measures to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction including those which are nuclear, chemical and biological in nature. ASNO is a division within the Department, however, the Director-General reports directly to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. ASNO was previously known as the Australian Safeguards Office (ASO) and was originally created in 1974. The statutory position of the Director of Safeguards under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (Safeguards) Act 1987 has been consolidated with the statutory offices of Director, Chemical Weapons Convention Office, and Director, Australian Comprehensive Test Ban Office, into the single office of Director-General, Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office.