Daniel Rietiker - Humanization of Arms Control: Paving the Way for a World free of Nuclear Weapons

Despite clear legal rules and political commitments, no significant progress has been made in nuclear disarmament for two decades. New ideas and strategies are therefore necessary. The author explores an alternative approach to arms control focusing on the human dimension rather than on States security: humanization of arms control!

The book explores the preparatory work on arms control treaties and in particular the role of civil society. It analyzes the positive experiences of the movements against chemical weapons, anti-personnel mines, and cluster munitions, as well as the recent conclusion of the Arms Trade Treaty. The author examines the question of whether civil society will be able to replicate the success strategies that have been used, in particular, in the field of anti-personnel mines (Ottawa Convention) and cluster munitions (Oslo Convention) in the nuclear weapons field. He also explores the contribution of those treaties to the protection of the human being, and their implementation by NGOs, the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court.

The book also explains the effects of weapons, especially nuclear weapons, on human beings, the environment, and global development, thereby focusing on vulnerable groups, such as indigenous peoples, women, and children. It takes a broad approach to human rights, including economic, social, and cultural rights. The author concludes that the use of nuclear weapons is illegal under international humanitarian and human rights law and, moreover, constitutes international crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

In his general conclusions, the author makes concrete proposals for the progress toward a world without nuclear weapons.

Daniel Rietiker (PhD) is a senior lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights and teaches international law and human rights at Suffolk University Law School (Boston, MA) and Lausanne University (Switzerland).

Available titles in this series include:

Islamic Law and the Law of Armed Conflict
The Armed Conflict in Pakistan
Niaz Shah

Cluster Munitions and International Law
Disarmament with a Human Face?
Alexander Breitegger

Accountability for Violations of International Humanitarian Law
Essays in Honour of Tim McCormack
Jadranka Petrovic

Humanization of Arms Control
Paving the Way for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons
Daniel Rietiker

Forthcoming titles in this series include:

International Law and Drone Strikes in Pakistan
The Legal and Socio-Political Aspects
Sikander Ahmed Shah

Islam and Warfare
Context and Compatibility with International Law
Onder Bakircioglu

The Concept of Military Objectives in International Law and Targeting Practice
Agnieszka Jachec-Neale

Cosmopolitan Ethics and Law on Autonomous Weapons in Modern Warfare
Ozlem Ulgen

Daniel Rietiker

First published 2018
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2018 Daniel Rietiker

The right of Daniel Rietiker to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Names: Rietiker, Daniel, author.

Title: Humanization of arms control : paving the way for a world free of nuclear weapons / Daniel Rietiker.

Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2017. |

Series: Routledge research in the law of armed conflict | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017002096| ISBN 9781138225428 (hbk) |

ISBN 9781315399706 (ebk)

Subjects: LCSH: Nuclear disarmament. | Nuclear weapons

(International law)

Classification: LCC KZ5665 .R54 2017 | DDC 327.1/747dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017002096

ISBN: 978-1-138-22542-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-39970-6 (ebk)

Typeset in Galliard
by Keystroke, Neville Lodge, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton

To Yulia, with much love and gratitude for her patience, and to Wolfgang, our sunshine!

PART I
Humanization of arms control treaties dealing with non-nuclear weapons

PART II
Humanization of arms control treaties dealing with nuclear weapons