The Civil Society in International Humanitarian Law

Abstract

This article discusses the role of civil society's action in International Humanitarian Law, particularly at the monitoring and influence on states to both participate at the formulation and align themselves at the humanitarian challenges of the new sources of Humanitarian International Law, in this regard, the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The issue of this research concerns the questioning about the potential and effective role of the Global Civil Society towards International Law aiming the elimination of weapons that generate unacceptable damage against civilians. In this regard, from the dialectical perspective, we will use critical approaches of International Law that understand the civil society's potential emancipatory character. For this purpose, this paper is developed in two parts. Firstly, it concerns a few security studies and international law approaches. Secondly, it debates the Global Civil Society action in humanitarian disarmament.