Disarmament As Humanitarian Action
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i UNIDIR/2006/8 Disarmament as Humanitarian Action From Perspective to Practice John Borrie and Vanessa Martin Randin Editors UNIDIR United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research Geneva, Switzerland NOTE The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. * * * The views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the individual authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the United Nations, UNIDIR, its staff members or sponsors. UNIDIR/2006/8 Copyright © United Nations, 2006 All rights reserved UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. GV.E.06.0.9 ISBN 92-9045-182-3 Disarmament as Humanitarian Action: From Perspective to Practice is the second in a series of publications from UNIDIR’s project “Disarmament as Humanitarian Action: Making Multilateral Negotiations Work”. The first publication, released in 2005, is entitled Alternative Approaches in Multilateral Decision Making: Disarmament as Humanitarian Action. iv The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)—an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations—conducts research on disarmament and security. UNIDIR is based in Geneva, Switzerland, the centre for bilateral and multilateral disarmament and non- proliferation negotiations, and home of the Conference on Disarmament. The Institute explores current issues pertaining to the variety of existing and future armaments, as well as global diplomacy and local entrenched tensions and conflicts. Working with researchers, diplomats, Government officials, NGOs and other institutions since 1980, UNIDIR acts as a bridge between the research community and Governments. UNIDIR’s activities are funded by contributions from Governments and donors foundations. The Institute’s web site can be found at: www.unidir.org CONTENTS Foreword by Bernard R. Bot . ix Introduction . 1 Chapter 1 Disarmament as humanitarian action: From perspective to practice John Borrie Summary . 7 Introduction . 7 Bipolar disorder . 10 Humanitarian perspectives . 13 Enlightened self-interest . 17 Chapter 2 Mitigating the effects of armed violence through disarmament: counting the human costs Christian H. Ruge Summary . 23 Introduction . 23 A different security concept . 25 Research in support of policy . 28 Understanding the humanitarian effects of arms . 32 Empirical research supporting complex negotiations . 35 Widening the agenda—Opening up for new approaches . 43 Chapter 3 Disarmament as humanitarian action? Comparing negotiations on anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war Rosy Cave Summary . 51 Introduction . 51 v vi Civil society and government dynamics during the mine ban convention process . 53 Civil society and government dynamics during the CCW ERW process . 56 Similarities and differences . 60 Conclusion . 69 Chapter 4 The Role of Landmine Monitor in promoting and monitoring compliance with the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Mary Wareham Summary . 79 Introduction . 79 Mine Ban Convention implementation obligations . 80 Mechanisms to monitor implementation . 81 The ICBL and its Landmine Monitor initiative . 83 Promoting and monitoring states parties’ compliance: Landmine Monitor’s role . 86 Impact on non-states parties . 98 Conclusion . 102 Chapter 5 Gender analysis as a tool for multilateral negotiators in the small arms context Vanessa Farr Summary . 109 Introduction . 109 The changing nature of warfare . 113 Identifying the gendered effects of small arms . 116 Social structures: effects and change . 120 Gender analysis as a tool that helps multilateral negotiators . 125 Whose experiences really count? . 128 Conclusion . 129 vii Chapter 6 Small arms and the Geneva Forum: disarmament as humanitarian action? John Borrie Summary . 137 Introduction . 137 The origins of international efforts on small arms . 139 Difficulties in the United Nations Conference process . 140 The role of the Geneva Forum in the lead up to the conference . 144 The United Nations Conference and its aftermath . 148 The “Geneva Process” on small arms . 149 Disarmament as humanitarian action? . 154 Acronyms . 167 FOREWORD Until recently, the arms control and disarmament debate was focused almost entirely on external threats to states, especially those posed by other states. In our rapidly globalizing world, however, the range of threats to security has become much wider. These threats include the indiscriminate spread of small arms and light weapons, the effects of mines and explosive remnants of war and potentially other threats relating to new technologies, some of which are still under development. All threats come at great cost of human lives and prospects for development. Thus the success of humanitarian efforts is closely linked to the effectiveness of multilateral disarmament efforts. Both would benefit from an understanding of the way “human security” and disarmament interact. Field-based perspectives, including evidence-based research and reports by civil society groups, contribute to this much-needed understanding. In 1997, negotiations on the Mine Ban Treaty showed that a humanitarian approach could successfully add value to multilateral disarmament efforts. However, each multilateral disarmament process is different and has its own unique characteristics. Often it is not obvious how human security-based approaches relating to one particular multilateral disarmament process could apply to others. Aimed at multilateral disarmament practitioners, the first volume of UNIDIR’s project “Disarmament as Humanitarian Action” discussed the relevance of human security perspectives to moving the disarmament agenda forward. Building on its predecessor, this second volume provides case studies of humanitarian approaches that have had—or could have—a positive impact on disarmament processes. The analyses presented here cover negotiations on anti-personnel mines, explosive remnants of war and small arms, as well as the evolving thinking on gender and human security. In sparking discussion among negotiators, this book is a welcome contribution to enhancing the effectiveness of multilateral disarmament efforts. ix x For this reason, the Government of the Netherlands is pleased to join the Government of Norway in supporting UNIDIR’s project “Disarmament as Humanitarian Action”. This publication is a good example of the problem-solving approach adopted by UNIDIR in its research on disarmament and other security issues. Such innovative and fresh thinking is very timely. Dr Bernard R. Bot Minister of Foreign Affairs Kingdom of the Netherlands INTRODUCTION At root, disarmament and arms control problems are issues of human security. Insecurity and violence hurt or kill people and undermine or destroy the communities they live in. Yet, until recently, security thinking in disarmament and arms control has been dominated by security concepts that focus on external threats to states, especially by other states. These orthodox approaches have been found wanting in the face of new and increasingly complex international security challenges, and many of the multilateral processes on disarmament and arms control have failed to make progress over the last decade. This is of concern at many levels, not least because disarmament and arms control norms are integral to promoting human security and the protection of the individual from violence and insecurity. In late 2004, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) initiated a project entitled “Disarmament as Humanitarian Action: Making Multilateral Negotiations Work”. The project, assisted financially by the Governments of Norway and the Netherlands, examines the current difficulties of the international system in dealing effectively with arms control and disarmament challenges. These challenges include—but are not limited to—the effects of small arms and light weapons (SALW) proliferation, the risks of hostile use of advances in the life sciences, and nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Experience has shown that humanitarian approaches can add value to multilateral negotiation processes in international security. Examples include the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, negotiations that culminated in a protocol on explosive remnants of war (ERW) in late 2003, and, to a more limited extent, in the domain of SALW (where these perspectives have been resisted by some governments). In November 2004, UNIDIR held a half-day meeting in Geneva that discussed the relevance of humanitarian and human security perspectives to moving the arms control and disarmament agenda forward. A compilation of papers from the meeting, and a summary of the discussions, can be found in the first publication of the “Disarmament as Humanitarian 1 2 Action” (DHA) project entitled Alternative Approaches in Multilateral Decision Making: Disarmament as Humanitarian Action. One year later, on 25 November 2005, as part of the DHA project’s work and on the occasion of UNIDIR’s twenty-fifth anniversary, UNIDIR organized a commemorative debate with the support of the Government of Norway. Leading experts debated the motion that “human security should be the basis for multilateral disarmament and arms control negotiations”. A discussion, including views from diplomats, NGOs and members of