Global Ethics, Human Security, and Power in International Humanitarianism: A Critical International Relations Perspective

Abstract

This study critically examines international humanitarianism as an ethical and political project within international relations, situating it at the intersection of ethics, Critical Human Security (CHS), Critical SecurityStudies (CSS), and global justice. While humanitarianism presents itself as universal, neutral, and morally grounded, the paper interrogates its persistent entanglement with geopolitical power, militarization, donor agendas, and strategic interests. Drawing on historical and contemporary cases from Africa, South Asia, and Europe, the analysis explores the tension between humanitarian ethical commitments and the political and operational realities of international intervention. The study argues that international humanitarianism functions simultaneously as an ethical ideology and a mechanism of power within the global order, thereby challenging conventional assumptions of neutrality, impartiality, and moral exceptionalism. By foregrounding CHS principles—freedom from fear, want, and indignity—and integrating global justice concerns such as equity, accountability, and the redress of structural inequalities, the paper advances a reframing of humanitarian action as both ethically rigorous and politically responsible. It advocates for humanitarian interventions that prioritize local agency, ethical accountability, and human security outcomes, while critically examining how power relations, climate change, wars, protracted conflicts, and structural inequalities shape humanitarian practices and outcomes in diverse contexts. The analysis highlights the moral and operational responsibilities of states, NGOs, and international institutions in contexts of compounded crises, emphasizing the inseparability of ethics, human security, and geopolitics in contemporary international humanitarianism. The expanded analysis underscores that ethical humanitarian practice is multidimensional, requiring simultaneous attention to local empowerment, structural inequities, geopolitical influence, and long-term human security outcomes.