The Moralization of Sanctions in International Diplomacy

This study focuses on the moralization shift of sanctions in the contemporary international diplomatic sphere. First, it sorts out the clear development trajectory of the justifications underpinning the legitimacy of sanctions: in the past, the legitimacy of most international sanctions was built around traditional strategic, legal, and security dimensions, while it has gradually shifted to an ethical dimension centered on protecting human rights, promoting democratic values, and upholding the rule-based international order. This study defines the core concept of “moralization” drawing on constructivist international relations theory and normative contestation theory, and puts forward that sanctions hold the dual attribute of functioning both as a material tool of economic coercion and a symbolic tool for norm diffusion. This study adopts a comparative case study method, using cases of sanctions imposed on Russia, Iran, and several African countries, to carry out systematic empirical analysis. It finally arrives at its core research findings: the moralization shift of sanctions can effectively boost the legitimacy and acceptability of sanctions within sanction coalitions, but it also provokes politicized objections from sanctioned states and Global South actors. Meanwhile, this shift itself carries a core tension between normative legitimacy and empirical effectiveness. Based on this series of findings, this study ultimately concludes that the various hidden risks tied to the moralization of sanctions must be examined with prudence.

Constructivism, Global governance, International diplomacy, Moralization, Norm contestation, Sanctions.

1. Arı, B., & Sonmez, B. (2024). Human Rights Violations and Public Support for Sanctions. Journal of Peace Research, 62(1), 83–99. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Beeson, M. & Hall, I. (2021). The Rise of Moral Diplomacy and the Politics of Values in International Relations. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Bernstein, S. (2022). Legitimacy in Global Governance. Annual Review of Political Science, 25, 155–174. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Deitelhoff, N. & Zimmermann, L. (2020). Norms under Challenge: Unpacking the Dynamics of Norm Contestation. Journal of Global Security Studies. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Deitelhoff, N., & Zimmermann, L. (2020). "Things We Lost in the Fire: How Different Types of Contestation Affect the Robustness of International Norms." International Studies Review, 22(1), 51–76. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Early, B. R., & Peksen, D. (2022). Searching in the dark: The empirical effects of economic sanctions. International Interactions, 48(4), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050629.2022.2035456 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Ercan, S. & Gagnon, J. (2022). The Crisis of Legitimacy and Moral Claims in Global Governance. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Finnemore, M., & Sikkink, K. (1998). International norm dynamics and political change. International Organization, 52(4), 887–917. https://doi.org/10.1162/002081898550789 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Gibbons, M. (2020). The humanitarian impact of economic sanctions. Journal of Global Security Studies, 5(2), 234–250. https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogaa004 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Giumelli, F., & Ivan, P. (2021). The effectiveness of targeted sanctions: A meta-analysis. Journal of International Relations and Development, 24(3), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41268-020-00209-2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Hafner-Burton, E. M. (2021). Making human rights a reality. Princeton University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Hellquist, E. (2024). “International Sancgtions and Contested Normative Authority.” Punishment in International Society: Norms, Justice and Punitive Practices, 167-186. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Juma, J. (2023). The Use of Sanctions in Enforcing International Law: A Shift to Individual Responsibility. SSRN Working Paper. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Meissner, K. (2023). "How to Sanction International Wrongdoing? The Design of EU Restrictive Measures." The Review of International Organizations, 18(1), 61–85. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Meissner, K. (2023). How to sanction international wrongdoing? The design of EU restrictive measures. The Review of International Organizations, 18(1), 61–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11558-022-09458-0 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Mertens, C. (2024). “Carrots as Sticks: How Effective Are Foreign Aid Suspensions and Economic Sanctions?” International Studies Quarterly, 68(2). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Milanovic, M. (2023). Revisiting Coercion as an Element of Prohibited Intervention in International Law. American Journal of International Law, 117(4), 601–650. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Nagel, A. S. (2023). Unilateral Extraterritorial Sanctions: The Search for a Jurisdictional Justification under International Law. LSE Law Review, 8(3), 368–395. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Özdamar, Ö., & Shahin, S. (2021). Economic sanctions and humanitarian consequences. Foreign Policy Analysis, 17(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1093/fpa/orab003 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Palestini, S., & Portela, C. (2025). Sanctions and Global South contestation: Legitimacy, sovereignty, and resistance in international politics. Contemporary Security Policy. (Forthcoming / advance online publication—verify final issue details) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Panke, D., & Petersohn, U. (2016). "Why International Norms Disappear Sometimes." European Journal of International Relations, 22(3), 719–742. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Peksen, D. (2019). When do imposed economic sanctions work? A critical review of the sanctions effectiveness literature. Defence and Peace Economics, 30(6), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10242694.2018.1497230 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Portela, C. (2022). The rise of sanctions in international affairs. Contemporary Security Policy, 43(2), 235–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/13523260.2022.2031021 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Sandholtz, W. (2017). International Norm Change. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Waltz, K. N. (1979). Theory of international politics. Addison-Wesley. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Wendt, A. (1999). Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Wiener, A. (2018). Contestation and Constitution of Norms in Global International Relations. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Zaum, D. (2019). "Legitimacy and International Organizations." In The Oxford Handbook of International Organizations. Oxford University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Agarwood: A Fragrant Link between India and Southeast Asia
• Pens of Protest: Malayalam Press in the Freedom Struggle
• Long-Term Trends of Temperature and Rainfall in Sivakasi: A Climatic Assessment (1980–2025)
• Iran’s Forgotten Friend William Morgan Shuster: Victim of Anglo-Russian Conspiracy
• The (Moordkop) Murder Hill Massacre 1830: A Historical Analysis of the Griqua-Ndebele Conflict