Because Wassenaar operates by consensus, a single country can block any proposal. Foremost among the arrangement's difficulties is that members continue to be divided over Wassenaar's scope, primarily whether the arrangement should become more than just a body for exchanging and collecting information. Wassenaar members are not obligated to deny transfers previously denied by others.Īlthough Wassenaar has overcome a great deal of growing pains, problems persist. Within 60 days, members are requested to notify the Wassenaar Secretariat of any export license approvals of transactions that are "essentially identical" to transactions that another Wassenaar member denied within the past three years.For the subset of Very Sensitive items, such as stealth technology materials and advanced radar, members are called on to "exert extreme vigilance" in exports.Twice per year, members exchange information on all export licenses issued or transfers made to non-Wassenaar members.Within 60 days, members are requested to notify the Wassenaar Secretariat of any export licenses denied on proposed transfers to non-Wassenaar members.Tier 2: Sensitive Items and its subset of Very Sensitive Items Twice per year, members exchange information on all export licenses denied on proposed transfers to non-Wassenaar members. The ACV, aircraft, and helicopter categories include models designed to perform reconnaissance or conduct command of troops missions.įor the Dual-Use Goods and Technologies List: Members added the final category in December 2003 after years of debate. 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.įor the Munitions List (Conventional Weapons):Įvery six months, members exchange information on deliveries of conventional arms to non-Wassenaar members that fall under eight broad weapon categories: battle tanks, armored combat vehicles (ACVs), large-caliber artillery, military aircraft/unmanned aerial vehicles, military and attack helicopters, warships, missiles or missile systems, and small arms and light weapons. Wassenaar members also lack veto authority over other member's proposed exports, a power that COCOM members exercised. Through such exchanges, Wassenaar aims to promote "greater responsibility" among its members in exports of weapons and dual-use goods and to prevent "destabilizing accumulations." Unlike its predecessor, the Cold War-era Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM), which was created to restrict exports to the former Soviet Union and Eastern bloc, Wassenaar is not targeted at any region or group of states, but rather at "states of concern" to members. 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. Contact: Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, (202) 463-8270 x107
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