Why in the news?

• The Wassenaar Arrangement is struggling to keep pace with advancements in cloud technology, necessitating revisions in its control lists as well as stronger enforcement mechanisms.

Wassenaar Arrangement

• What is it?:
  • The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies is a multilateral export control regime (MECR).
  • Established in 1996 at Wassenaar, Netherlands, it succeeded the earlier Cold War-era Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM).
• Objectives:
  • Promote transparency and responsibility in international transfers of conventional arms and dual-use technologies.
  • Prevent destabilizing accumulations of weapons and sensitive technologies by rogue actors or states.
  • Complement other non-proliferation regimes (like NSG, MTCR, Australia Group).
• Key Features:
  • Membership: 42 participating states (as of 2025) including the US, Russia, Japan, most EU nations.
  • India joined in December 2017, strengthening its case for membership in other global regimes.
  • Control Lists:
    • Munitions List (conventional arms).
    • Dual-Use Goods & Technologies List (items with civilian and military applications).
  • Decisions are taken by consensus; not legally binding but politically significant.
  • Participating states maintain national export control policies consistent with WA guidelines.
• Relevance for India:
  • Membership has given India access to advanced technologies, crucial for defence, space, and nuclear programs.
  • Strengthens India’s profile as a responsible nuclear power and helps in its pursuit of NSG membership.
  • Allows India to align domestic export control lists (e.g., SCOMET list) with global standards.
• Challenges:
  • Difficulty in adapting controls to emerging technologies (AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity tools, drones).
  • Enforcement issues due to non-binding nature.
  • Growing geopolitical tensions (US–China, Russia–West) reduce consensus.