After the Cold War, a new discourse on arms control and disarmament emerged driven, in part, by the severe humanitarian impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war on people's lives and livelihoods. Security was no longer conceived exclusively in terms of military threats to the state, but as freedom from violence for individuals and groups. This learning unit elaborates on how the paradigm shift from national to human security furthered 'humanitarian disarmament' initiatives and explores the political processes that successfully outlawed anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.

After completing this unit, you will

• be able to describe the humanitarian impacts of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.
• recall the diplomatic processes that led to their prohibition, including the role of the EU in these processes.
• be able to restate the main international humanitarian law (IHL) rules governing the regulation of weapons from a humanitarian perspective.
• know key elements of the Ottawa and Oslo treaties and ongoing challenges in their implementation.
• recognize key characteristics of a humanitarian disarmament approach.
• be able to apply a humanitarian disarmament lens to contemporary disarmament debates, including nuclear disarmament.