Wassenaar Arrangement

January 3, 2023 2 Mins Read
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Wassenaar Arrangement

Context: From Ist January 2023, India assumes the chairmanship of the Wassenaar Arrangement for one year. And this will be the first time India to chair this regime.

What is Wassenaar Arrangement?

  • It is a multilateral export control regime formed voluntarily by the participation of 42 states in 1998.
  • It is the successor to Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Control (CCMEC).
  • Its secretariat is located in Vienna, Austria.
  • India joined this regime in 2017 as the 42nd participating state.

Objectives

  • It aims to establish regional and international peace and security by promoting transparency and responsibility in the transfer of conventional arms and dual-use technologies.

Whether Wassenaar Arrangement is legally binding or not?

  • Because Wassenaar Arrangement is not a treaty, it is not legally binding.

How does it work?

  • Every six months, member nations share information related to the transfer of conventional arms to non-member nations which fall under the eight broad weapons category.

What are others Multilateral Export Control Regimes (MECR)?

  • Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG)
    • NSG is a group of nuclear supplier nations that aims to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons by controlling the export of equipment, material, and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
    • It was founded in 1974 in response to India’s first nuclear test (Operations Smiling Buddha).
    • It has 48 participating members.
    • India is not a member of the group.
    • It is not legally binding.
  • Australia Group
    • It is an informal group of nations that aims to harmonize their export regime to ensure that export does not contribute to the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.
    • It was established in 1985, initially with 15 members.
    • It has now 43 members.
    • India joined the Austalia Group in 2018 as the 43rd member.
    • It is not legally binding.
  • Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) 1987
    • It is an informal group that seeks to prevent the proliferation of missiles and missile technology, unmanned aerial vehicle technology, and weapons of mass destruction.
    • It was formed in 1987 by G-7 countries.
    • It does not put any legally binding obligation on the member.
    • India became a member of MTCR in 2016.

Source: Wikipedia

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