What is the Wassenaar Arrangement?
The Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) is the first multilateral institution covering both conventional weapons and sensitive dual-use goods and technologies. The WA received final approval by 33 co-founding countries in July 1996, and began operations in September 1996.
What is Wassenaar plenary?
The Wassenaar Arrangement Plenary is the decision-making body of the Arrangement. It is composed of representatives of all Participating States and normally meets once a year, usually in December. The position of Plenary Chair is subject to annual rotation among the Participating States.
What is the Wassenaar dual-use list?
The Wassenaar Dual-Use List comprises a Basic List of controlled technology, on which members semiannually report aggregated license denials. The Basic List is subdivided into a Sensitive List of technologies on which members report individual denials of licenses within 30-60 days.
What is the Wassenaar program?
Participating States undertake to ensure that exports of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine international and regional security and stability. Representatives of Participating States meet regularly in Vienna where the Wassenaar Arrangement’s Secretariat is located.
The Wassenaar Arrangement, formally established in July 1996, is a voluntary export control regime whose 42 members exchange information on transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies.
What is Wassenaar doing to promote transparency?
To promote transparency, Wassenaar calls on states to make a series of voluntary information exchanges and notifications on their export activities related to weapons and items appearing on the arrangement’s two control lists.
Why does Wassenaar report on transfers to nonmembers of dual-use goods?
In order to promote transparency and like-mindedness, Wassenaar members also report on their transfers to nonmembers of dual-use goods. The Wassenaar Dual-Use List comprises a Basic List of controlled technology, on which members semiannually report aggregated license denials.
Can a country block a Wassenaar proposal?
Because Wassenaar operates by consensus, a single country can block any proposal. In earlier years, a few members consistently refused to fully participate in voluntary information exchanges and notifications on dual-use goods, though participation has reportedly improved. [2]