Moving Forward to a World Free of Nuclear Weapons (?): How Regional Issues Shape Global Non-proliferation and Disarmament Politics

Abstract

This special issue contributes to the global dialogue on a nuclear weapons ban by evaluating how regional politics enable or hinder a global ban on nuclear weapons. The insights of 17 contributions offer a nuanced and diverse account of the landscape of nuclear disarmament, arguing that understanding the diversity of regional perspectives, lenses, and approaches is crucial for advancing toward a global nuclear weapons ban. This introduction sets the stage for a detailed exploration of common themes, aiming to shed light on the structural elements that characterize regional and global nuclear politics. For that, we employ a Comparative Area Studies Approach to explore venues and patterns across different regions, offering a comprehensive analysis that underscores the importance of considering local, regional, and global dimensions in tandem. We delineate three key elements that either facilitate or impede the implementation of a nuclear weapons ban: (1) Inclusivity: How key actors participate and are included in the policy-making process at the global, regional, and local levels; (2) Inequalities: how power inequalities shape social processes that enable or hinder the continuity of nuclear weapons; (3) Institutions: how networks and institutions are organized and structured between each other.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This special issue would not have been possible without many individuals and organizations who provided invaluable support in the competition for this work. This project started in 2021, with an online webinar marking the entry into force of the TPNW, and continued with an Authors’ workshop in 2023, both hosted by the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA). A special thank you to GIGA for the early institutional support, and particularly to Dr Miriam Prys-Hansen for her guidance. The guest editors also extend their gratitude to the editorial board of the Peace Review, with a special mention to Katerina Standish for her constructive feedback and continued support.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The nuclear order also covers institutions aimed at ensuring the access to peaceful nuclear technology. This element is, however, only incipiently addressed in the special issue.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leonardo Bandarra

Leonardo Bandarra is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of International Relations and Development at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, working on nuclear verification, trust, and perspectives from the Global South as part of “VeSPoTec – Nuclear Verification in a Complex and Unpredictable World”, funded by the German Ministry of Science and Education. He is also a Director at the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), working on research on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. He holds a PhD in Social Sciences/ Political Science from the University of Göttingen (“Summa Cum Laude”) together with the German Institute for Global and Regional Studies (GIGA), Germany, a Master’s and Bachelor (Hons) in International Relations from the University of Brasilia (“Summa Cum Laude” equivalent), Brazil, and a University Diploma in International Nuclear Law from the University of Montpellier, France, with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. Email: [email protected]

Patrícia Nabuco Martuscelli

Patrícia Nabuco Martuscelli is a Lecturer in International Relations and Co-Director of the Migration Research Group at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. She is also Deputy Director of One University Decolonising Teaching and Research. She has a Bachelor’s degree (2014) and a Master’s in International Relations from the Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Brazil. Before joining the Department, Patrícia was a Social Science Research Fellow in Conflict and Migration at the Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction at the University College London. In the last few years, Patrícia was a Visiting Scholar at the Zukunftskolleg (University of Konstanz, Germany), the Jacobs Centre for Productive Youth Development (University of Zurich, Switzerland), and the Carolina Population Centre (University of North Carolina, USA). Email: [email protected]