The humanitarian framing of disarmament is not a novel development, but rather represents a re-emergence of a much older and long-standing sensibility of humanitarianism in disarmament. The Book rejects the 'big bang' theory that presents the Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention 1997, and its successors – the Convention on Cluster Munitions 2008, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 2017 – as a paradigm shift from an older traditional state-centric approach towards a more progressive humanitarian approach. It shows how humanitarian disarmament has a long and complex history, which includes these treaties.This book argues that the attempt to locate the birth of humanitarian disarmament in these treaties is part of the attempt to cleanse humanitarian disarmament of politics, presenting humanitarianism as a morally superior discourse in disarmament. However, humanitarianism carries its own blind spots and has its own hegemonic leanings. It may be silencing other potentially more transformative discourses.

‘There is a great deal of discussion in the current literature on international nuclear weapons law regarding the humanitarian movement in diplomacy and civil society, which played a major role in the successful adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In this book, Treasa Dunworth makes a tremendously significant contribution to this literature by placing this most recent humanitarian initiative in its historical and theoretical context within the broader narrative of humanitarian disarmament generally. Contextualising the modern movement in this way helps us to understand its nature and its successes, as well as the likely limits of its power to bring about nuclear disarmament.'

Daniel Joyner - Elton B. Stephens Professor of Law, University of Alabama

‘This book provides a very timely contribution that will inform current debates about both the legacy of HD and, more importantly, its future direction and place in the architecture of regulation to control the means of violence.’

Neil Cooper - Director, School of Peace and Conflict Studies, Kent State University

‘An elegant and richly informative study that charts the genealogy of humanitarian disarmament - or, as it is put in this fine work, a humanitarian framing of disarmament. Digging deep into materials from public international law as well as from other disciplines, Treasa Dunworth has given us a history of the concept without the gloss - and it is a quietly compelling history that is brought alive as much by the supreme clarity of its exposition as it is by the sustained and patient critical engagement that takes hold of each page.’

Dino Kritsiotis - Professor of Public International Law, University of Nottingham, Co-Director of the Nottingham International Law and Security Centre (NILSC)

‘In a relaxed and informative style, Dr Dunworth surveys the humanitarian impetus for key disarmament efforts and outcomes, spanning from the St Petersburg Declaration of 1868 up until the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017. It is a fascinating and illuminating account - a rewarding read for anyone interested in disarmament.’

Dell Higgie - New Zealand Ambassador for Disarmament, New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament