Small States and New Norms of Warfare

Abstract

The paper focuses on the influence of small states on the development of new international norms regulating the conduct of warfare. It examines the role of two small European states – Belgium and Norway – in two cases of developing new prohibitions on weapons with severe impact on the civilian population – antipersonnel landmines and cluster munitions. The paper argues that Belgium and Norway played leading, though different, roles in those two processes and emphasizes the importance of several interrelated factors for obtaining a better understanding of the role of small states in shaping new international norms: first, domestic actions on these issues were achieved as a result of the active involvement of individuals, the creation of effective partnerships between policymakers and NGOs, and media interest; second, once domestic actions lay the ground for international norm development, factors such as national identity and diplomatic traditions influenced the roles small states played on the international stage.