Banning the Bomb

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The Politics of Norm Creation: The Engagement of States and Non-State Actors

Political Realism traces the origin of norms to the interests of major powers.¹ Events leading up to July 1996 bring to the fore a different appreciation of the process of norm creation with regard to the question of nuclear threat or use. An array of actors were involved in securing a response from the World Court to a request by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The role of non-state actors, small and middle powers in the international system and specialized agencies of the United Nations deserve further scrutiny in this context.

Nuclear weapon states (NWSs) (with the sole exception of China) at various stages made explicit their marked disagreement with ...