International Disarmament and Arms Control: In the Middle of a Paradigm Shift?

This chapter discusses disarmament and arms control, which were envisaged as an integral part of the collective security system set out in the United Nations Charter. Whereas disarmament is related to the reduction (or even the total abolition) of a category of weapons, arms control was developed in the context of nuclear deterrence. Given that the goal of arms control conventions was the stabilization of the security environment, such agreements usually included measures such as mutually agreed limitations on certain armaments or freezing their number at a given level. International law on disarmament and arms control is in essence treaty law: hence, the chapter identifies the distinctive features of the existing legal framework. In the post-Cold War era, the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention has represented the most successful model for subsequent treaties. The chapter then focuses on current developments in both international politics and military technology and their impact on international security and arms control efforts