The International Law of Conventional Arms Control in Europe

The general purpose of contractual arms control – as of all law – is to stabilize social (military) relationships. Defined as part of the broader legal pursuit to achieve minimum world public order, the contractual arms control establishes international norms to institutionalize a working politico-military relationship. There is in Europe a legal standard for co-operation in military affairs thanks to the CFE Treaty. Together with the Vienna Document 1994 they institutionalized cooperation, established codes of peaceful conduct, erected mechanisms to verify compliance, and developed procedures and institutions to deal with emerging disputes. Proceeding from the above observation, this book provides a systematic and detailed examination of the two basic documents of the international law of conventional arms control in Europe, namely the 1990 CFE Treaty and the Vienna Document 1994. Given its interdisciplinary perspective, this book will be of interest to a wider audience not limited to the arms control community, but also including students, teachers and practitioners of public international law and international politics. The author, Dr. Burak Akçapar, is a career diplomat.