AMBASSADOR THOMAS GRAHAM, JR,
Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr. is President of the Lawyers Alliance for World Security (LAWS). Ambassador Graham served as Special Representative of the President for Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament from 1994-1997. He led U.S. Government efforts to achieve a permanent Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) leading up to and during the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the NPT. Ambassador Graham headed the U.S. Delegation to the 1996 Review Conference of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty
He also headed the U.S. Delegation to the 1993 ABM Treaty Review Conference. In addition, he led a number of delegations to foreign capitals in the period 1994-1996, first to persuade countries to support indefinite extension of the NPT and in 1996 to urge conclusion of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland (the CTBT was signed in September 1996). In November 1995 and June 1996, Ambassador Graham led a U.S. Delegation to Indonesia to discuss with ASEAN nations the emerging Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty.
Ambassador Graham was General Counsel of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) from 1977-1981 and from 1983 to 1993. From January 20, 1993 until November 22, 1993, he served as Acting Director of ACDA, and from November 23, 1993 to August 29, 1994 as Acting Deputy Director. Among other assignments, he has served as the Legal Advisor to the U.S. SALT II Delegation (1974-79), senior arms control agency representative to the U.S. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Delegation (1981-82), Legal Advisor to the U.S. Nuclear and Space Arms Delegation (1985-88), senior arms control agency representative and Legal Advisor to the U.S. Delegation to the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Negotiation (1989-90). He also served as Legal Advisor to the U.S. Delegation to the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 1980, Legal Advisor to the U.S. Delegation to the 1988 ABM Treaty Review Conference, Legal Advisor to the U.S. START I Delegation in 1991 and Legal Advisor to the U.S. START II Delegation in 1992-93. Ambassador Graham worked on the negotiation of the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. He also managed the ratification of the Geneva Protocol banning the use in war of chemical and biological weapons and the biological weapons convention. Ambassador Graham drafted the implementing legislation of the Biological Weapons Convention and was the only Executive Branch witness in hearings on this legislation in both Houses of Congress (this is the law utilized by the Department of justice to prevent biological weapons terrorism in the United States). On numerous occasions Ambassador Graham has testified before Congressional Committees on arms control and related issues. He has taught courses at the University of Virginia School of Law, the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, the Georgetown University Law Center, and the Stanford University. He has spoken widely on arms control issues around the country and abroad, and has chaired the ABA Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament.