Global Activism and Humanitarian Disarmament

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvii

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2. The Humanitarian Disarmament Movement: An Assessment and Review

   • Taylor Benjamin-Britton, Matthew Breay Bolton, Sarah Njeri

   Pages 1-24

3. Emergence of Norms

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 25-25

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   2. When Scientists Become Activists: The International Committee for Robot Arms Control and the Politics of Killer Robots

      • Matthew Breay Bolton, Cayman C. Mitchell

      Pages 27-58

   3. The Agency of International Humanitarian Disarmament Law: The Case of Advocacy for Positive Obligations in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

      • Matthew Breay Bolton, Elizabeth Minor

      Pages 59-101

   4. Religious Advocacy and Activism for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

      • Emily Welty, with Gabrielle Chalk

      Pages 103-138

4. Challenges in Diffusing and Implementing Norms

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 139-139

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   2. US Arms Control Dynamics in the Era of Humanitarian Disarmament: A Case Study of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

      • Taylor Benjamin-Britton

      Pages 141-168

   3. The Politics of Non-recognition: Re-evaluating the Apolitical Presentation of the UN Humanitarian Mine Action Programs in Somaliland

      • Sarah Njeri

      Pages 169-195

5. The Wider Context

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 197-197

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   2. The Relationship Between Humanitarian Disarmament and General and Complete Disarmament

      • Dan Plesch, Kevin Miletic

      Pages 199-224

   3. Addressing the Political Impact of Inclusion and Exclusion in Multilateral Disarmament Forums

      • Elizabeth Minor

      Pages 225-251

6. Back Matter

   Pages 253-272

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This book analyses the politics of the humanitarian disarmament community—a loose coalition of activist and advocacy groups, humanitarian agencies and diplomats—who have successfully achieved international treaties banning landmines, cluster munitions and nuclear weapons, as well as restricting the global arms trade. Two campaigns have won Nobel Peace Prizes. Disarmament has long been a dirty word in the international relations lexicon. But the success of the humanitarian disarmament agenda shows that people often choose to prohibit or limit certain violent technologies, for reasons of security, honour, ethics or humanitarianism. This edited volume showcases interdisciplinary research by scholars and practitioners seeking to understand the dynamics and impact of the new global activism on weapons. While some raise concerns that humanitarian disarmament may be piecemeal and depoliticizing, others see opportunities to breathe new life into moribund arms control policymaking. Foreword by 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams.

• humanitarian disarmament
• disarmament
• nuclear weapons
• autonomous weapons
• arms control
• Arms Trade Treaty
• nationalism
• human rights
• security

“A convincing and state-of-the-art narrative of the growing importance of humanitarian disarmament and mobilization of civil society in security and arms control, especially as it relates to restricting weapons, those with a disproportionate effect on civilians. This book explores several recent seminal civil society movements that help achieve historic limitations and prohibitions on widely used and stockpiled weapons. In doing so, it provides essential reading to all those involved in international relations and humanitarian disarmament.” (Kenneth R. Rutherford, Professor, Department of Political Science and Director, Center for International Stabilization and Recovery, James Madison University, USA)

• Department of Political Science, Pace University, New York, USA

  Matthew Breay Bolton

• Africa Leadership Centre, King’s College London, London, UK

  Sarah Njeri

• Lehigh University, Bethlehem, USA

  Taylor Benjamin-Britton

Matthew Breay Bolton is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the International Disarmament Institute at Pace University, USA.


Sarah Njeri is Research Associate at King’s College London’s African Leadership Centre, UK.  


Taylor Benjamin-Britton has taught courses in international relations and international organization in the Department of Political Science at Temple University, as well as the Department of International Relations at Lehigh University, USA. 

Policies and ethics