Of pinpricks and cannon shots: UN arms embargoes and peacekeeping as coercive disarmament measures

Abstract

This Article challenges the traditional view of disarmament law that States must directly consent to disarmament measures. In particular, this Article focuses on the ways the Security Council can impose disarmament obligations through its Chapter VII arms embargoes that require all States to restrict target States’ access to weapons and through its Chapter VII authorizations of robust peacekeeping activities that involve the forcible removal of arms from hostile elements within a State. Peacekeeping activities in Somalia, the DRC, and Sierra Leone are prime examples. Such coercive measures call for a reassessment of the foundation of this branch of international law.