What Is Wassenaar Arrangement? India Assumes Chairmanship For One Year

What Is Wassenaar Arrangement?: On 01-01-2023, India assumes the chairmanship of the plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement for one year. As the chair of the body, India remains ready and committed to work in close cooperation with other members to further the Wassenaar Arrangement goal of contributing to regional and international security and stability.
What Is The Significance of Wassenaar Arrangement For UPSC?: It Covers UPSC Prelims Current  Affairs and UPSC Mains’ GS 2-Bilateral Groupings & Agreements, International Treaties & Agreements, Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India’s Interests, Nuclear Technology.

Why Is Wassenaar Arrangement In News?

• India assumes the chairmanship of the plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement for one year.
• EAM Sri S. Jaishankar Is In Austria For The Same.
• This is the first EAM level visit to Austria in 27 years and it takes place at a time when the two countries will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations next year.

Background

• At the 26th annual plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement held in Vienna during November 30-December 1 2022, Ireland’s ambassador Eoin O’Leary handed over the chairmanship to India’s ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar, who is the permanent representative to the UN and international organisations in Vienna.

What Is Wassenaar Arrangement?

• The 42-member Wassenaar Arrangement is a voluntary export control regime that monitors transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods.
• The Wassenaar Arrangement was formally established in July 1996.
• The Wassenaar Arrangement is a multilateral export control regime that works to promote transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies through regular exchanges of information among its members.
• The regime is aimed at tracking such transfers and preventing “destabilising accumulations” of conventional arms and dual-use goods.

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When India Joined The Wassenaar Arrangement?

• India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement in December 2017 as its 42nd participating state.
• The decision to admit India was taken at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna.
• Then, it was expected to raise New Delhi’s stature in the field of non-proliferation besides helping it acquire critical technologies.

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What is The plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement?

• The plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement is the main decision-making body that operates on consensus.
• The WA Plenary is composed of representatives of all Participating States who normally meet once a year, usually in December. Chairmanship of the Plenary is subject to annual rotation among Participating States.

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Who Are The Members Of  The Wassenaar Arrangement?

• The WA has 42 members, the latest entrant being India.
• With the exception of China, all the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council are signatories of the WA, which is headquartered in Vienna.

How does the Wassenaar Arrangement work?

• The goal of the Arrangement is to “promote transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies”.
• Participants are required to “ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine the goal”.
• The aim, according to WA, is also to prevent the acquisition of these items by terrorists.

What are Wassenaar Control Lists

• • The Arrangement works according to what it calls WA Control Lists.
  • The controls are subject to ratification by the participants. WA members agree to exchange information on sensitive dual-use goods and technologies and report on such transfers and denials of controlled items to non-participants.

What Is The Significance of India’s Chairmanship of WA?

• Keeping in mind the recent spurt in activity and investments in defence and space sector, for India this is of significance.
• Since India will hold the chair for a year and is expected to play an important role in democratising access to processes and technologies that are likely to play a critical role for the emerging space and defence manufacturers in the country.
• And in the global non-proliferation architecture this will help establish India as a responsible stakeholder.

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