India’s Recent Entry into Wassennar Arrangement

India has been admitted to the Wassennar Arrangement as 42^nd participating member in meeting held at Vienna (Austria).

The Five Multilateral Export Control Regimes

Multilateral export control regimes (MECR) are basically “policy instruments” or multilateral institutional arrangement to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. They are consensus-based and voluntary arrangements of supplier countries that produce technologies useful in developing weapons of mass destruction or conventional weapons.

At present, there are five multilateral weapon and technology export control regimes viz. Australia Group; Missile Technology Control Regime; Nuclear Suppliers Group; Wassennar Arrangement and Zangger Committee. Around 40 countries are members of one or more of these regimes. Only 27 members are members of each of them while 30 countries are members of first four of them. India is a member of two of them viz. MTCR and Wassennar Arrangement.

• Australia Group was set up in 1985, after the use of chemical weapons by Iraq in 1984, to help reduce the spread of chemical and biological weapons.
• MTCR was established by G-7 countries in 1987 to restrict the proliferation of missiles, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), complete rocket systems and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogram payload for at least 300 kms, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). India is now a member of MTCR.
• NSG was formed by seven countries viz. Canada, West Germany, France, Japan, the USSR, the United Kingdom, and the United States in response to the ‘Smiling Buddha’ (Pokharan-I) of India in 1974. Currently, it has 48 countries, but India is still not a part of it.
• Wassennar Arrangement was set up in 1996 at Wassennar in Netherlands to promote greater responsibility and transparency in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and
• Zangger Committee derived its mandate from Article III.2 of the NPT. The Zangger Committee is a faithful interpreter of the ambiguous language of the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty.

India’s Recent Entry in Wassennar Arrangement

Entered into force in 1996 in Wassennar (Netherlands).It is a multilateral export control regime which regulates and seeks to promote greater responsibility and transparency in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies. Aim is achieved by making member countries develop such national policies which ensures that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities compromising the goal of the agreement. WA is not legally binding.

“Dual use : It means goods & technologies which can be used for both civil and military purposes.”

Members of WA

It comprises of 42 members, latest being India. It is important to note that except China, all other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council are signatories of the WA.Membership of the grouping is acquired through consensus only.

Background

• After the Second World War, owing to cold war situation there was formation of two blocs vis western bloc (US) and eastern bloc (Soviet union).
• In such scenario, Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) was
• formed under the leadership of the Soviet Union that comprised the countries of the Eastern Bloc along with a number of communist states. It was formed primarily to prevent countries in the Soviets’ sphere of influence from moving towards that of the US.
• In response to it, CoCoM (Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls) was formed by western bloc powers whose goal was to restrict the export of items that could contribute significantly to military potential and the proliferation of weapon systems. The target was Communist countries.
• However, CoCoM ceased to function from 1994 and in place of it Wassennar arrangement came into force.

 Benefits for India

They key benefits for India are as follows:

Technology Boost

Non-member states to WA were denied many new technologies. Companies were restricted because of their respective national governments’ compliance with the multilateral arms control regimes. With India’s increasing desire for military modernisation and upgradation of its internal security ,becoming a member of WA was imperative.It will now give India access to a host of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies in defence & space sector. This includes, most importantly, a host of ‘intrusion software’ technologies, which form a part of the mass-surveillance systems.

Membership to NSG

India’s entry into the two of four non proliferation regimes will give it an edge to negotiate for its entry into NSG.Also,china which has been blocking India’s NSG membership will think twice to do the same as it is not the member of WA and India will have a say in china’s entry in WA.

Non proliferation Stature

Entry into WA is the recognition of India’s non –proliferation track record despite not being a signatory of NPT(Non Proliferation Treaty).It also shows India’s export policies are in line with WA.Now the official membership  will further enhance India’s position in the global non-proliferation architecture.

Commercial Benefit

Now India can increase the supply of nuclear goods and technologies as the membership will increase India’s credibility in the international aerena.It will givea boost to Defence manufacturing thereby promote ‘Make in India’.

Other benefits

The membership enhances India’s strategic capability and shows India’s strong relationship with US, Russia and France who played important role in India’s WA. Also it leads to acceptance of the fact of India’s stature as a balancing power in Asia.