Introduction

Abstract

Law is a fundamental component of disarmament. There is a complex web of international treaties, Security Council resolutions and soft law instruments that address the threat posed by weapons, an array of international institutions that work to regulate and eliminate weapons, and a steady stream of disarmament law crises that get aired in the media on a regular basis. Despite all this, in recent decades, the field of disarmament law has received relatively little attention from academics. There is limited discussion or debate about key disarmament law issues, and many issues are not addressed at all in the academic literature.