THE ETHICS OF USING COUNTERMEASURES AS INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC LAW SANCTIONS

In the past, the international society was also characterised by the fact that, in lack of international organisations, in case of armed attack or other violation of international laws, the personal self-defence was predominant, with the affected state being the only one which had the possibility to react towards what it considered a violation of its rights, resorting to force in order to protect its own interests. The events occurred after the Second World War, especially consecrating in art. 2 p. 4 from the UN Charter, the principle regarding the prohibition of force or force threatening in the international relations, had as a result the fact that reactions with the title "armed countermeasures" were, mainly, forbidden, with only the use of countermeasures without weapons being accepted.