A Role Theory Approach to Participation

Since the end of the Cold War, international nuclear non-proliferation (NNP) institutions have more than doubled. The expansion of the regime was a partial reaction to new violations against the NNP norm, particularly in Iraq and North Korea, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But it was also a sign of the changing nature of proliferation concerns towards humanitarianism and environmentalism. Studies on nuclear non-proliferation (NNP) have given little attention to the phenomenon of participation in the international institutions that shape the NNP regime. According to Jeffrey Knopf, most studies did not address the “full range of international non-proliferation efforts” and the institutions behind them (Knopf 2016a, 1). Participation is commonly regarded as a consequence of the decision not to proliferate or as a sign of conformity to international norms (see Chap. 1 ).