ABSTRACT
The use of depleted uranium (DU) by the US and North Atlantic treaty organization in the Gulf War and in the Balkans has prompted numerous controversies regarding the potential health and environmental hazards associated with exposure to DU weaponry. There are three main contenders in the international discourse on DU: the governments responsible for the use of DU weapons (mostly US and UK); the United Nations (UN); and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The chapter argues that the success of NGOs in establishing their narrative on the international platform will depend on how well they manage to meet the following three main challenges: the establishment of solid credibility through the dissemination of scientific evidence linking DU exposure to negative health and environmental impacts; the establishment of legitimacy through the grounding of a DU ban within current international law; and the securing of new rule of law through the effective diffusion and successful catalysis of norm development and rule creation.
