Human Rights and International Security

The current situation in the international order is complex, including from the perspective of human rights protection and security. Numerous challenges have emerged in recent years, originating from highly influential actors within the international system—namely, global powers. Moreover, there exists a close interrelationship between security and human rights, such that the protection of each of these values is essential to safeguarding the other. Undoubtedly, the European Union (EU) “is founded on a strong commitment to promote and protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law both within the EU and around the world”; likewise, it is stated that the European Commission has among its missions “to contribute to the maintenance of peace on a global scale” (European Union website). This commitment has been clearly demonstrated in the context of the conflict in Ukraine.

Prior to the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2022, the EU had already developed significant action in the field of international peace and security. In this regard, it should be recalled that “since March 2014, the EU has progressively imposed restrictive measures against Russia” (…) and that “to date, 19 sanctions packages have been adopted” (EU website). Although the EU has not been the only international actor to adopt measures against Russia, it has been among the most determined and resolute. The fluctuations characterising U.S. policy under President Trump—including in its relations with Russia and China, among others—have affected the scope of U.S. sanctions against the Moscow regime; at the same time, they have limited the credibility of efforts to achieve a genuine peace agreement. More broadly, relatively few States have both condemned the Russian act of aggression and imposed sanctions on Russia.

This reflects a broader trend also observable in international courts, marked by inaction and a perceived “failure” of these institutions to adopt effective measures in the context of recent armed conflicts on the international stage, as noted in a recent issue of Tiempo de Paz (Díaz Barrado & Morán Blanco, The Defeat of International Justice in the Wars of Ukraine and Gaza, No. 158, 2025, pp. 48–56). This renewed disappointment is particularly evident in the framework of the International Court of Justice, but also in the International Criminal Court, which is specifically mandated to prosecute serious international crimes. All of this suggests that the current outlook for international justice in ensuring peace and security at the universal level is far from encouraging. Combined with the lack of jurisdiction of regional courts over such crimes, this situation generates uncertainty and concern regarding the future of the fundamental values and principles achieved within the international community over the past eighty years.

In conclusion, although the European Union is itself affected by the broader transformation currently taking place within international society, this integration framework has maintained a firm and consistent position regarding the maintenance of international peace and security in the case of Ukraine—both through the adoption of the Versailles Declaration in March 2022 and through the imposition of sanctions against Russia from the outset of the conflict. Nevertheless, the absence of stable and effective legal mechanisms significantly constrains the enforcement of international responsibility for the commission of international crimes, thereby directly impacting international peace and security.