Recently, on 26^th annual plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement in Vienna, Ireland handed over the chairmanship to India and India will officially assume the chairmanship from 1^st January, 2023.

Wassenaar Arrangement

• The Wassenaar Arrangement is a voluntary export control regime. The Arrangement, formally established in July 1996,has 42 members who exchange information on transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies.
  • Dual-userefers to the ability of a good or technology to be used for multiple purposes - usually peaceful and military.
• Wassenaar Arrangement’s Secretariat is in Vienna, Austria.

• Members:
  • It has 42 member states comprising mostly NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and EU states.
    • Participating States are required to report their arms transfers and transfers/denials of certain dual-use goods and technologies to destinations outside the Arrangement on a six-monthly basis.
  • India became a member of the Arrangement in 2017.
• Objectives:
  • The group works by regularly exchanging information in respect of technology,both conventional and nuclear-capable, that is sold to, or denied to countries outside the grouping.
  • This is done throughmaintenance and updating of detailed lists of chemicals, technologies, processes and products that are considered militarily significant.
  • It aims at controlling the movement of technology, material or components to countries or entities which undermine international securityand stability.
• Wassenaar Arrangement Plenary:It is the decision-making body of the Arrangement.
  • It is composed ofrepresentatives of all Participating States and normally meets once a year, usually in December.
  • The position ofPlenary Chair is subject to annual rotation among Participating States.
  • In 2018 the Plenary Chair was held by the United Kingdom, and in 2019 the Chair is held by Greece.
  • All Plenary decisions are taken by consensus.

Chairmanship Significant for India

• Can Bolster Anti-Terrorism Efforts:
  • The timing of India’s WA chairmanship coincides with a recent increase in country’s anti-terrorism positionin international bodies.
  • India is also actively engagingglobal stakeholders in curbing terrorist financing.
    • Indian home minister is presently the chair of the No Money for Terrorism (NMFT)ministerial initiative.
  • Prevent Arms Diversion to Terrorists:
    • As a chair of the plenary, India would be in a position to steer discussions of the group to further strengthen the export controlsto prevent arms diversion to terrorists or to sovereign nations supporting terrorism.
  • Strong Anti-Proliferation Framework:
    • The worsening economic crisis in India’s western neighbour coupled with rapid radicalization of historically moderate sects in communities in the country poses a peculiar set of challenges to India.
    • Strengthening the licensing and enforcement practices under the WA and adoption of new export controls in areas likeflight technology, interception technology and digital investigation tools will pave the way for the creation of a strong anti-proliferation framework for South Asia.
  • Democratization of space and Defense Technologies:
    • India can play a significant role indemocratising access to technologies and processes that can serve as crucial building blocks for the newly emerging defence and space manufacturing sectors in India.
    • India is slowly emerging as alow-cost producer of several items in the WA’s control lists.

Looking ahead

• Membership to these not only allows greater technology and material access but enhances thecredibility of a nation as a responsible member of the world order.
• India is poised to becomea significant player in the world and thus requires a voice to further its claim as a rising power.