The case of the Mine Ban treaty: understanding the domestic factors that affect the diffusion od disarmament norms

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b1500489 (Table of Contents)

As the pace of the globalization increased after the end of the Cold War, international nongovernmental organizations became more influential in world politics through transnational advocacy networks (TANs) that arose from their cooperation with domestic nongovernmental organizations. Until recently, these networks have only been active in issues of '''low politics''. With the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, we have seen that TANs are also able to influence security and foreign policies of states towards complying with international humanitarian norms; however, little research was carried out to disclose the conditions that enable these networks to influence policy change in the security domain. For this purpose, this thesis aims to distinguish these conditions under which the global network against the use of anti-personnel landmine, namely International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), has failed to mobilize states to implement the Mine Ban Treaty. I test two explanatory variables from domestic politics approach, crisis level and domestic impact of the norm against anti-personnel landmines, through qualitative comparative case studies between United States, Turkey and Cuba. The study shows that although domestic impact of the mine-ban norm does not seem to have a direct effect, the crisis level variable appears as a factor directly blocking or giving way to the ICBL in its efforts influencing state behaviors towards the Mine Ban Treaty.