Wassenaar Arrangement: Outreach visit in Singapore (11-12 July 2017)
An outreach mission of the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies took place in Singapore on 11 and 12 July 2017, aimed at officials and industry representatives.
An outreach mission of the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (WA) took place in Singapore on 11 and 12 July 2017 at the request of local custom authorities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The delegation was led by Ambassador Jean-Louis Falconi, Plenary Chair of the Wassenaar Arrangement and by Ambassador Philipp Griffiths, Head of the Secretariat. The delegation also included the principal officer in charge of the control lists within the WA, Mr. Vincent Fleuriot, as well as the President of the technical expert Groups and various representatives of Participating States (Australia, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States).
This mission aimed at promoting the goals of the Wassenaar Arrangement, il being noted that Singapore, while not a member of the Arrangement, is an important partner thereof due to its central location in Asia and its status as the world’s second largest port. Singapore authorities are indeed keen to see their national policy on export controls for conventional arms and civil-military dual-use goods contribute to reinforcing peace and regional and international security.
This mission was organized in conjunction with an awareness-raising action by Singapore customs to industry representatives, with the focus on the updated national regulatory framework following the update of the European Union control lists in 2016. More than one hundred companies participated. It is worth recalling that both the military list and dual-use goods list established by the Wassenaar Arrangement as being subject to export controls are directly transposed in the European Union’s relevant instruments (common list of defense-related products and modified Council Regulation No 428/2009), bearing in mind that the responsibility for authorization decisions eventually lies with responsibility of each State.
This mission also provided an occasion for the delegation to exchange views with relevant Singapore governmental agencies, including Foreign Affairs, Customs, Defense and Trade. While Singapore authorities keep abreast of the evolutions within the Wassenaar Arrangement regime, some important changes were made in the control lists since the last visit of WA representatives in 2011, notably in the field of high performance additive manufacturing (3D printers), interception of cellular communications, Internet surveillance systems and drones. This visit also provided an opportunity to exchange views on national best practices related to export authorizations and the possibilities of technical support for the benefit of States non-member to the Arrangement.
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