The European Union’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime and the ‘Role Responsibility’ of International Organisations

In 2020 the European Union adopted the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime that, similarly to some national efforts, allows the EU to intervene against serious human rights abuses occurring beyond the Union’s borders by adopting targeted sanctions. This contribution aims to critically assess the new regime’s essential elements, also drawing on existing EU sanctions regimes’ relevant practice. It explores the potential pitfalls that may prevent the new regime to achieve the desired results, as well as the innovative features that may contribute to the development of international law in this field. In this respect, attention is brought on the theoretical concept of ‘role responsibility’ and on the examination of possible (international and/or internal) legal grounds for EU action in this field. The contribution closes by looking at the first implementation of the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime in light of the critical aspects raised in the overall analysis.