UPSC Prelims 2011 · Question 19 of 100

UPSC Prelims 2011 question on Australia Group

Recently, the USA decided to support India’s membership in multi-lateral export control regimes called the “Australia Group” and the “Wassenaar Arrangement”. What is the difference between them?

1. The Australia Group is an informal arrangement which aims to minimize the risk of assisting chemical and biological weapons proliferation, whereas the Wassenaar Arrangement is a formal group under the OECD holding identical objectives.

2. The Australia Group comprises predominantly of Asian, African and North American countries, whereas the member countries of Wassenaar Arrangement are predominantly from the European Union and American continents.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer

Answer: D. Neither 1 nor 2

Verdict

Correct Answer: Neither 1 nor 2

Both statements are incorrect because they wrongly describe the objectives, institutional linkages, and membership pattern of the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement.

Statement by statement

1. Statement 1 — Incorrect
The Australia Group is an informal export control arrangement that aims to prevent the spread of chemical and biological weapons by harmonising export controls.

However, the Wassenaar Arrangement is not under the OECD and does not have the same objective as the Australia Group. It deals with export controls on conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, such as electronics, sensors, aerospace items, and advanced materials.

2. Statement 2 — Incorrect
The Australia Group is not predominantly Asian and African. Its membership largely consists of developed countries, especially from Europe, North America, and other advanced economies.

The Wassenaar Arrangement also has broad membership, including countries from Europe, North America and Asia, such as India, Japan, South Korea and Russia. Therefore, the geographical classification given in the statement is inaccurate.

Extra UPSC info

Export Control Regime Main Focus India’s Status

MTCR Missiles and UAV technology Joined in 2016
Wassenaar Arrangement Conventional arms and dual-use goods Joined in 2017
Australia Group Chemical and biological weapons Joined in 2018
NSG Nuclear materials and technology Not a member

How to crack it

The Australia Group deals with chemical and biological weapons, while the Wassenaar Arrangement deals with conventional arms and dual-use technologies. Since both given statements misrepresent these regimes, the correct answer is Neither 1 nor 2.

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