Home - The Wassenaar Arrangement

What is the WA?

The Wassenaar Arrangement has been established in order to contribute to regional and international security and stability, by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilising accumulations. The aim is also to prevent the acquisition of these items by terrorists.

Participating States seek, through their national policies, to ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine these goals, and are not diverted to support such capabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

WA Timeline

Click through the timeline below to discover major milestones in the WA’s history.

December 1995

WA established

Agreement to establish the “Wassenaar Arrangement” was reached at a meeting in Wassenaar, the Netherlands.

April 1996

Inaugural Plenary Meeting

The first session of the inaugural Plenary Meeting of the Wassenaar Arrangement was held in Vienna, Austria.

July 1996

Consensus on the “Initial Elements”

Final consensus on the “Initial Elements”, the basic document of the WA, was reached and it was established that the new Control Lists and Information Exchange would be implemented from
1 November 1996.

September 1996

General Working Group

First meeting of the General Working Group held at the Permanent Mission of Japan in Vienna.

November 1996

IO status

Decree issued by the Austrian Government grants the WA legal status as an international organisation (IO).

December 1996

First WA Plenary Meeting

The first Plenary Meeting of the now operational Wassenaar Arrangement was held in Vienna.

1997

EG

First meetings of the Experts Group.

1998

LEOM

First Licensing and Enforcement Officers Meeting.

2000

New Exports Guidelines

Plenary adopts Elements for Export Controls of MANPADS and Best Practice Guidelines for Exports of SALW.

2002

Revision of Initial Elements

WA Initial Elements revised to address acquisition of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies by terrorists.

2004

First Outreach

First post-Plenary outreach briefing for non-participating states.

2005

New Participating States

First expansion of membership as Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovenia become Participating States.

2006

South Africa joins

South Africa becomes a Participating State.

2006

Transfer of Technology Controls

Best Practices for Implementing Intangible Transfer of Technology Controls.

2011

Conventional Weapons Systems Controls

Best Practice Guidelines on Re-Export Controls for Conventional Weapons Systems.

THE WASSENAAR ARRANGEMENT

Highlights

Statement issued by 2025 Plenary Chair

List of Dual-Use Goods and Technologies & Munitions List (2025) Corr.

Summary of Most Recent Changes to Lists Corr.

Best Practice Guidelines on Internal Compliance Programmes

Key Information

WA Participating States

Control Lists

Best Practices & Guidelines

Recent Activities

UN Disarmament Fellows Discuss WA’s Role in Multilateral Export Controls

Head of Secretariat Addresses the Asian Export Control Seminar

Enhanced Technical Briefing for WA Outreach Partners

What is the WA?

WA Timeline

December 1995

WA established

April 1996

Inaugural Plenary Meeting

July 1996

Consensus on the “Initial Elements”

September 1996

General Working Group

November 1996

IO status

December 1996

First WA Plenary Meeting

1997

EG

1998

LEOM

2000

New Exports Guidelines

2002

Revision of Initial Elements

2004

First Outreach

2005

New Participating States

2006

South Africa joins

2006

Transfer of Technology Controls

2011

Conventional Weapons Systems Controls

2011

First Technical Briefing

2012

Mexico joins

2014

First Enhanced Technical Briefing

2017

India joins

Consensus on the “Initial Elements”