How We Persuaded 122 Countries to Ban Nuclear Weapons (original) (raw)
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The Humanitarian Initiative on Nuclear Weapons: An Introduction to Global Policy's Special Section
Global Policy
The dominant paradigm of international relations theory has long seen influence over nuclear arsenals as the preserve of presidents, premiers and generals of the world's great powers, not underfunded activists, feminist campaigners, radical nuns or even diplomats of small states. The approach of this special section could not be more different. In fact, we have intentionally curated a collection of articles that try to ‘de-center’ the academic conversation about nuclear weapons. The inspiration for our approach comes from the Humanitarian Initiative on Nuclear Weapons, which since its emergence after the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has dramatically reshaped the diplomatic discussions on nuclear disarmament, led by small states and middle powers. The shift in discourse has been accelerated by revitalized civil society action, represented by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a global NGO coalition, as well as renewed calls for disarmament from religious leaders – most notably Pope Francis. This special section, written from the perspective of scholars and practitioners associated with the Humanitarian Initiative, examines its dimensions and its potential impact on global policy making.
Proceedings The 1st UMYGRACE 2020 “Armoring the Youth to Contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, 2020
Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, also known as Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon or TPNW, is a treaty-based international regime which brings a new hope toward total nuclear disarmament in the future, thanks to the years of relentless efforts by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapon (ICAN) who advocated the establishment of the treaty. In addition, they also contributed to actualize some goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Consequently, ICAN is also granted the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for making such a monumental contribution. This study is aimed to identify a course of actions taken by ICAN which became the antecedents of their success in advocating TPNW establishment and to explain coherently why and how those actions work. The importance of this study is that it provides a scientific explanation on ICAN's approach behind their success which might be practically replicable. This study utilized the poststructuralism theory of international relations and transnational advocacy network concept as its basis of analysis. Regarding the research methodology, secondary data are collected with library research technique. After that, the collected data would be analyzed explanatively. The result of this case study is that ICAN managed to utilize humanitarian discourses and then reinforce them via a transnational advocacy network scheme so that it can influence United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) states' decision to establish TNPW. In a broader sense, the case study results also represent the lessons learned about the influence of transnational discoursebased advocacy in contemporary international relations constellation.
2016
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has aimed to reenergize global civil society activism on nuclear weapons through a discursive strategy, borrowing self-consciously from critical and post-positivist international relations (IR) theories. ICAN aims to generate a new disarmament discourse that establishes nuclear weapons as inherently inhumane. Alongside the state-led Humanitarian Initiative, ICAN campaigners are helping to reshape the conversation at certain international meetings on nuclear weapons. They have helped to contest the dominance of national security narratives and force even the nuclear-armed states to address the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. In supporting a reframing of the conversation, they have opened nuclear disarmament policy making to new voices. However, as with the transmission of many ideas from one arena to another – in this case from academia to global policy making forums – there is a translation process as ICAN campaigners selectively adopt from post-positivist IR to meet their political goals. It is possible that this translation of critical theorizing into the setting of multilateral forums has necessitated reducing the potency of the disruptive critique of the original ideas.
Opposing Trends: The Renewed Salience of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Abolitionism
2018
w This paper discusses two opposing trends defining the current nuclear order: the renewed salience of nuclear weapons and nuclear abolitionism. Whereas nuclear weapon states and their allies have put increasing value on nuclear deterrence in recent years, several non-nucleararmed states and civil society highlight the urgency of nuclear disarmament. The latter trend culminated in 2017 with the negotiation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which seeks to promote disarmament by strengthening the global stigma on nuclear weapons. Most nuclear weapon states have rejected this approach and have identified the treaty itself as a threat. This paper argues that focus should shift from disagreements over the TPNW to the shared goal of reducing nuclear threats. The most urgent issue facing the NonProliferation Treaty (NPT) is the lack of progress on the implementation of its disarmament pillar, which puts the onus on nuclear weapon states to start tackling the secur...
The Story so Far : The Humanitarian Initiative on the Impacts of Nuclear Weapons
2014
In 1968 the international community signed the NPT to halt the spread of nuclear weapons and kick-start the process of nuclear disarmament. The NPT’s starting point is ‘the devastation that would be visited upon all mankind by a nuclear war and the consequent need to make every effort to avert the danger of such a war’.4 During the cold war the United States and Soviet Union made progress in slowing the nuclear arms race, and after it ended a significant opportunity emerged to rethink the role of nuclear weapons in international politics. The NPT’s five nuclear-weapon states (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) committed themselves to:
Viewing Nuclear Weapons through a Humanitarian Lens
is renewed and deep international concern about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would result from the detonation of nuclear weapons in populated areas. Yet 25 years after the end of the Cold War, nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence remain central to the security doctrines of a significant number of states. Drawing on a range of perspectives, this volume explores what viewing nuclear weapons through a humanitarian lens entails, and why it is of value. Recent developments in this respect are also examined, as well as what these could mean for nuclear arms control in the near future.