The Wassenaar Arrangement is an international agreement controlling the sale and transfer of ammunition and dual-use goods to prevent the proliferation of hazardous materials. Member nations must disclose details of sales to non-members, and meetings are held to amend the agreement in response to changing global security conditions. Black market deals are not part of the agreement, and monitoring and interdicting black market shipments require cooperation between nations.
The Wassenaar Arrangement – more precisely known as the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies – is an international export control agreement relating to the sale and transfer of ammunition, as well as dual-use goods that they may have peaceful conditions or military purposes. Under the terms of the agreement, member nations – 40 in 2011 – agree to control the movement of these items to prevent the proliferation of potentially hazardous materials. This and other arrangements are used to create a comprehensive framework for limiting dangerous build-ups of military munitions and supplies with the aim of maintaining global stability. Copies of the Wassenaar agreement are available for review by members of the public who are curious to read the document in full.
This array contains two separate lists of items of interest. One is ammunition, all items with a clear military purpose like tanks and missiles. The other contains dual-use items such as electronics, which may have a military purpose, but may also have other applications. Computer processors, for example, can run weapons systems, but they can also be used for personal computers or in the commercial sector. Member countries have agreed to the content of the lists and may update them periodically.
Within six months or less of sales of items on these lists to non-members, member countries must disclose details of the sale or transfer. Under the Wassenaar arrangement, it is more difficult to build up stockpiles of military material through legitimate sales and transfers, because these activities are monitored. Member countries aware of a past sales history may consider this before making their own transfers. All members can also be informed of the military capability of various nations based on recent sales and transfer activities.
Each member nation is responsible for upholding its part of the Wassenaar Agreement through designated agents. Signatories to the Agreement also participate in meetings to amend or change it in response to changing global security conditions; meetings of the main body, the WA plenary, are usually held annually. In addition, subsidiary groups meet periodically to make recommendations for the plenary.
Black market deals are not part of the Wassenaar arrangement. Proper control of the flow of military supplies also requires monitoring and interdicting black market shipments of military supplies and other restricted items. Nations can also cooperate in this task to facilitate the location and tracing of suppliers of illegal weapons, although this is not mentioned in the Agreement. This activity may require the formation of joint task forces that include representatives of military and intelligence services from various countries.
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