Human Rights and International Standards: Correlation between National and International Legislation

The issue of compliance with national standards ensuring an individual’s right to protection in accordance with international standards has been considered. It is noted that one of the primary tasks of modern international law is to ensure international protection of human rights and establish norms regulating relations between states and other subjects of international law. These norms aim to guarantee the rights and freedoms of individuals as provided by international agreements. Emphasizing that the process of establishing international legal standards for human rights protection is inevitably linked to the creation and adoption of universal international documents, many human rights have been normalized through corresponding forms and mechanisms. Recent history of interstate relations has seen the systematization of international agreements defining human rights protection standards through a series of normative acts known as the International Bill of Human Rights. This bill includes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. The International Bill of Human Rights serves as the normative foundation for human rights protection standards at the international level. It is argued that a fundamental component of general international human rights standards is the right of the accused to defense. The right to defense in criminal proceedings is one of the most important institutions and serves as a guarantee for other rights and freedoms of individuals. Its stability and viability characterize the level of development of the rule of law, democracy, and societal culture. Thus, the accused’s right to defense is an integral part of general international human rights standards and is considered a necessary condition for the realization of the right to a fair trial. The right to defense is among the universally recognized principles of international law, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights. The provisions of these international legal acts are implemented in national legislation. At the national level, ensuring the accused’s right to defense is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, the Criminal Procedure Code (hereinafter referred to as CPC) of Ukraine, and the Law of Ukraine “On Free Legal Aid,” among others. It is noted that ensuring the right to defense is a fundamental principle of national justice systems. These principles are authoritative requirements addressed to participants in criminal proceedings, obliging (or allowing) them to act in a certain way. For individuals involved in criminal proceedings, compliance with these requirements is their legal duty. It is established that the main international human rights treaties have been recognized by Ukraine, forming part of its national legislation and ensuring judicial protection. The right to defense is classified by national legislation as one of the fundamental principles of justice, which entails that authorized officials empowered to conduct criminal proceedings must guarantee the procedural rights of suspects, accused persons, convicted individuals, and acquitted individuals as provided by the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. Furthermore, these officials, while exercising their rights, should have the opportunity to defend against accusations.

It is indicated that the personal rights and freedoms of the individual, the key norms and principles of which are contained in international legal documents, are introduced by modern democratic states into their national legislation not as static and absolute templates, but as guidelines that should be consistently followed, taking into account their own historical, cultural and legal traditions and customs. In the process of practical implementation of international standards implemented in national legislation, innovative approaches to the legal regulation of human rights and freedoms are formed, which, of course, has an impact on the further development of international standards themselves. It is this dialectical interpenetration of international legal acts and national legislation that forms the foundation for the constant improvement of the legal regulation of human rights and freedoms during their protection and safeguarding by law enforcement agencies in general and police units in particular. The article examines certain aspects of international legal norms and principles regarding human rights to life and characterizes the current state of their implementation in national Ukrainian legislation on the activities of police bodies. Thanks to the comparative method, the provisions of international legal acts (the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the European Code of Police Ethics) were analyzed and compared with the legal prescriptions of the Law of Ukraine «On the National Police» and «Rules of Ethical Behavior of Police Officers» (order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine dated 09.11.2016 No. 1179) regarding compliance of the latter with international standards. On the basis of the comparison, specific proposals for improving the existing provisions in national legislative and other normative legal acts regarding the activities of police structures regarding the protection and protection of the basic natural human right to life in the sense of compliance with international standards are given.

Проаналізовано функціонування інституцій системи державного управління України в контексті забезпечення реалізації та захисту прав людини. Доведено, що європейський вибір ставить перед українським публічним управлінням нові завдання, що стосуються передусім подальшої демократизації суспільства, яка передбачає розширення спектру основних прав та свобод громадян. Констатовано, що державне управління в Україні здійснюється з метою адаптації інститутів громадянського суспільства до європейських стандартів: верховенства права, сталого розвитку, забезпечення пріоритетності прав і свобод у всіх сферах державної діяльності, а також зміцнення демократії. Зазначено, що усе це є необхідною умовою інтеграції України до Європейського Союзу.

В умовах правової глобалізації об’єктивно посилюється зв’язок міжнародного права з національними правовими системами держав – членів міжнародного співтовариства, що знаходить свій прояв у взаємодії норм і принципів міжнародного права, які містяться в міжнародних договорах з системою національного конституційного права і законодавства. Найбільш яскраво ця взаємодія проявляється у запозиченні нормами національного конституційного права держав міжнародних правових стандартів як складної системної нормативної феноменології міжнародних договірних відносин, що після визнання державами-учасницями міжнародних договорів, шляхом їх підписання, повинні бути імплементовані в національну систему конституційного законодавства для подальшої дії на рівні та як звичайних норм національного конституційного права.
 Метою статті є дослідження феноменології місця, ролі, значення та застосування міжнародних правових стандартів у національному конституційному праві в контекстуалізації їх доктринального визначення, розуміння, а також праксеологічної цінності через дослідження їх поняття, ознак та місця в його системі джерел.
 Наукова новизна полягає у дослідженні місця та ролі міжнародних правових стандартів у національній системі конституційного права через визначення їх поняття, ознак та місця в системі джерел конституційного права.
 Висновки. Конституційне право держави є основоположною, фундаментальною та єдиною профілюючою галуззю національного права, бо саме її правові норми регулюють основні відносини, що виникають у процесі становлення, існування, функціонування та взаємодії між собою особистості (людини), суспільства та держави. Отже, з огляду на такий конституюючий характер зазначених правових відносин саме конституційному праву належить особлива роль у моделюванні національної системи права та національної системи законодавства, включаючи й запозичення норм міжнародного права. Актуальність досліджуваної проблематики обґрунтовується відсутністю вітчизняних наукових розробок з комплексного дослідження категорії «міжнародних стандартів», розкриття особливостей їх впливу на становлення і розвиток конституційного права України, з’ясування їх місця у сфері прав, свобод та обов’язків людини і громадянина в конституційному праві України, а також у формуванні та діяльності органів державної влади та місцевого самоврядування, нерозвиненістю відповідного законодавства та недостатністю узагальнення практики й зарубіжного досвіду із вказаних питань, – хоча її важливе теоретичне і практичне значення для розвитку національного конституційного нормопроектування (законопроектування), а також нормотворення (законотворення) у сфері імплементації міжнародних стандартів до національного законодавства України, є безумовно важливим. Наявність великої кількості доктринальних підходів щодо розуміння міжнародних правових стандартів все ж не вирішує завдання їх оптимального визначення, – разом із тим вважаємо, що теоретичні наробки в цій сфері йдуть по продуктивному шляху через визначення правової природи міжнародних правових стандартів, суб’єктів їх розробки, їх прийняття та легалізації на міжнародному рівні. Характерними рисами міжнародно-правових стандартів виступають: наявність об’єкта і методу правового регулювання; їх погоджувальний характер; їх координаційний характер; обов’язковість для тих сторін, які визнали їх добровільно; форми їх існування – міжнародний договір або інші акти міжнародних організацій; забезпечення їх реалізації, що відбувається на рівні держав або міжнародних організацій як об’єднань держав; їх структурна особливість, якою є відсутність структурного елемента норми – санкції. Міжнародні правові стандарти, що містяться в міжнародних багатосторонніх договорах, є ординарними та належними джерелами національного конституційного права, що можуть бути застосованими в практичній діяльності його суб’єктів як й інші норми національного права та законодавства.

The article is devoted to the analysis of international documents in the field of legal education. The place of international normative legal acts in the hierarchy of normative legal acts has been considered. Characterization of international educational legislation has been carried out. Developing an effective legislative framework is an indispensable condition for the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of legal education of the population. Normative legal acts, being forms of expression of law, determine the legal validity and validity of legal norms, the limits of their validity, binding and other properties. The effectiveness of the legal regulation of social relations largely depends on the unity and consistency of the legal system, the orderliness and certainty of the relations of sources of law. Today, due to the fact that Ukraine has ratified a number of international documents in the field of education and human rights protection, a legal framework for the development and functioning of national legal education, which is in line with international legal standards, has been created. In view of the above, the analysis and understanding of international documents is important for the legal regulation of the legal education of the population. There has been focused on the main provisions of normative legal acts on the protection of human rights. The concept of discrimination, civic education in the context of legal regulation of legal education has been described. It has been emphasized that contemporary international legislation reflects a significant transformation of ideological orientations and consciousness of each person that affects the content of legal education and defines the directions of the legal and regulatory framework for the formation and implementation of the state legal policy on the legal education of the population in Ukraine. Also there has been proved that the ratification of a number of international documents in the area of education and human rights protection contributed to the creation of a legal framework for the development and functioning of national legal education that is in line with international legal standards. The above shows that contemporary international legislation reflects a significant transformation of ideological orientations and consciousness of each person that affects the content of legal education and defines the directions of the legal and regulatory framework for the formation and implementation of the state legal policy regarding the legal education of the population in Ukraine.

Background . Ukraine's candidacy for EU membership contributed to the acceleration of changes in Ukrainian legislation in accordance with the requirements of the "Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and their member states, on the one hand," signed in 2014. Of particular interest in the context of the development of municipal gender policy are the issues of localization of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the joining of local communities to the European Charter of Equality of Women and Men in the Life of Local Communities. In order to adapt European approaches to gender policy at the local level, it is necessary to carry out a detailed analysis of the normative and legal support of gender policy for the effective post-war reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine. The subject of the research is international normative legal acts in the field of human rights, gender equality, local self-government and other areas of law (from the standpoint of the provisions of the Law of Ukraine "On Law-Making Activity") and their adaptation to Ukrainian legislation. Methods . In order to conduct a correct study and obtain reliable results, an institutional approach was used, which makes it possible to form the author's vision of ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men at the local level by formal and informal social institutions. A structural-constructivist approach was also used to study the structural factors that determine the framework of gender relations. Results . International legal acts in the field of gender equality, rehabilitation and municipal policy are aimed at the unification of approaches to the regulation of human rights protection in the plane of the so-called "unified legal field" – international legal standards – and are acts of a binding or recommendatory nature. From the point of view of the development and implementation of gender policy at the level of territorial communities in the conditions of postwar reconstruction, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women. Peace. Security". The focus of the UN Security Council Resolution on the idea of implementing a gender approach at "all levels in operations to ensure peace and security", including at the level of local communities, is closely related to the concept of "localization". The term "localization of Resolution 1325" was introduced 14 years ago by the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders and is a confirmation of the potential of the direct impact of this international act on gender policy at the level of territorial communities. Unfortunately, this tool (local action plans) for the implementation of gender policy is rarely used and implemented in Ukraine today. Although they have significant potential in achieving gender equality at the level of territorial communities in the conditions of post-war recovery. Ukraine's accession to the international Biarritz Partnership also improved the environment for the implementation of a gender approach in management at the level of territorial communities and created the conditions for a potential increase in revenues to local budgets in the long term (involvement of women in economic activity, reduction of the wage gap between women and men, reducing the consequences of gender-based violence, increasing the life expectancy of men and establishing contacts with children through the opportunity to go on maternity leave, creating dadhubs, inclusive public spaces in communities, etc.). In June 2022, after a long-term advocacy campaign of the Ukrainian feminist human rights movement in partnership with the Equal Opportunities MFI, the VRU ratified the Council of Europe Concept on preventing violence against women and domestic violence and combating these phenomena, which strengthened not only national gender legislation, and gender policy at the local level. The European Charter of Equality of Women and Men in the Life of Local Communities provides for inter-municipal partnership of communities in the direction of achieving gender equality. For Ukraine, as a state that has acquired the status of a candidate for the EU, the synchronization of national legislation in the field of gender equality is important. Conclusions . International legal acts, which are a consequence of legal globalization, have an indirect effect on the development of gender policy at the level of territorial communities in Ukraine. They include international treaty acts on gender equality as a component of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Policies and documents adopted by EU government structures, international representatives of civil society are not normative in nature and do not relate to international legislation, however, they are frameworks for the formation of national legislation at the local level.

The article presents and analyzes the key theoretical and methodological problems and prospects for the harmonization of national legislation to international legal standards. Four stages of harmonization processes are distinguished: the stage of formation of the national legal mechanism (program) of harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with international legal standards. At this stage, it is necessary to: 1) outline issues that require updated legal regulation; 2) determine the range of international standards for which harmonization should be carried out; 3) create a material and technical base; the stage of comparative legal analysis and legal examination of norms of national legislation for their compliance with international legal standards; the stage of active modernization of national legislation taking into account international legal standards. At this stage, it is necessary to ensure the development and adoption of new normative legal acts, the introduction of changes in the current national legislation, which would maximally meet international legal standards and not violate the uniqueness and peculiarities of the national legal system; the stage of implementation of harmonization processes - implementation of harmonized acts is carried out, evaluation of the achieved results is carried out. It is concluded that without the introduction of active and effective measures, the process of bringing national legislation into line with the international standards of the UN, the Council of Europe, the EU will in fact remain at the level of declarations and wishes, and the accession of Ukraine to international legal acts that establish international standards will have a rather political, rather than international legal character.

The article is devoted to the study of the legal regulation of the implementation of the right to an effective remedy at the international level. International standards generally accepted in the world community in the mechanism of human rights protection, including the implementation of the right to an effective means of legal protection, have been studied. The main legal acts regulating the implementation of the right to effective legal protection have been determined - the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; Universal Declaration of Human Rights; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; European Convention for the Prevention of Torture or Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The level of compliance of the provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine with the norms of the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the sphere of ensuring the right to an effective means of legal protection was determined. The prospect of improving the national legal system regarding the realization of the right to an effective remedy based on the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is outlined. The role of the Convention in the system of normative and legal regulation of ensuring and implementing the right to an effective means of legal protection is defined. Attention is focused on the importance of implementing international legal norms into national legislation, which will contribute to the establishment and strengthening of the right to an effective remedy, in particular, at the constitutional and legal level. The importance and relevance of international legal norms for the establishment of national standards in the field of human rights protection have been established. The problem of the functioning of current international legal norms against the background of the national legal order is emphasized. Proposals for improving the provisions of national legislation in the sphere of realization of the right to an effective means of legal protection are given, taking into account the mechanism of implementation of international standards for the protection of human rights

The article examines the modern challenges of human rights protection during the armed conflict, in particular in the context of the need to introduce the legal regime of martial law, which was introduced due to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against the sovereign, democratic and legal Ukrainian state. The article focuses on the analysis of critical aspects of the protection of human rights in the context of armed conflict, emphasizing the difficulties arising from an aggressive invasion of a sovereign, democratic, and legal state. Special attention is paid to strategic priorities for the restoration and protection of human rights that have been seriously affected by military actions. The article argues the need for a specific legal framework adapted to the conditions of wartime armed conflict and the key priorities of post-war reconstruction. The article provides a detailed analysis of national legislation and relevant international legal norms and an attempt to identify and recommend effective strategies for strengthening the protection of human rights. Emphasis is placed on the need for legislative changes and reforms that would ensure rights and civil liberties and be consistent with European and international standards, thereby strengthening legal guarantees against potential human rights violations. The article provides a critical review of existing legal gaps that impair the protection of human rights during armed conflicts and discusses the key role of the international community and legal institutions in upholding justice and accountability. In addition, it is proposed to implement innovative legal measures and integrate the norms of international humanitarian law to strengthen the legal infrastructure, which is necessary for the effective restoration and protection of human rights and civil liberties. The article reveals modern scientific and professional discussions, emphasizing the urgent need for active and strategic legal measures that meet European and international standards, ensuring the protection of human rights in the complex conditions of military conflicts.

Everything about human right is inalienable void of violation from the human race. It is therefore that responsibility of the international community in ensuring the effective preservation and respect of these rights without any threat of violations. In ensuring its recognition and implementation, international standards have been established where there is the need of States parties to these international human right treaties in ensuring its incorporation in its various domestic legislations. The content and specific features of the introduction of international human rights standards into national legislation have been analyzed in the article. The methodological basis of research is a set of general scientific and special methods, in particular, dialectical, historical-legal, epistemological, comparative-legal. International standards for the protection of human rights have been defined as principles and norms enshrined in international regulatory legal acts that define fundamental human rights and freedoms, the obligation of the State to respect them, to assist in their realization, preservation and protection against unlawful encroachments, and to establish liability for their violations and methods of protection. It has been clarified that the procedure of implementation of international human rights standards into national legislation includes the following stages: (i) recognition of human rights by the State and their enshrinement in national legislation; (ii) institutionalization of the standard of human rights protection; (iii) bringing the current legislation in line with the international human rights standard and interpreting the latter; (iv) establishment of measures and means of protection and defense of human rights; (v) determining the procedure for the realization of the enshrined right; (vi) control over the observance of the international human rights standard.

The article is devoted to the protection of constitutional human rights in the context of European integration and social transformations in Ukraine. The concept of the protection of constitutional rights. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the European Court of Human Rights and the main projects of the Council of Europe are considered. The European experience of constitutional and legal protection of human rights and freedoms is multifaceted and is based on the long-term development of the system of international legal standards. The European Convention on Human Rights occupies a central place in this experience, which has created a unique system of protection of rights at the supranational level, providing individuals with the opportunity to apply to the European Court of Human Rights in case of violation of their rights. This judicial body not only administers justice, but also forms standards that affect the national legal system of each participating state. An important element is also the practice of implementing decisions. International legal acts, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights, are also an important element of the system of sources of constitutional and legal regulation and have priority over national legislation in case of conflicts. Laws adopted on the basis of constitutional norms detail and specify the mechanisms for the implementation of human rights and freedoms. In addition, decisions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and other judicial bodies form precedents that are of great importance in the practice of protecting rights and freedoms. This system of sources provides a comprehensive approach to the regulation of constitutional and legal relations in the field of protecting human rights and freedoms, forming an effective mechanism for their implementation and protection at all levels of the legal system. The purpose of the article is to analyze the current state of development of the protection of constitutional human rights in the context of European integration and social transformations in Ukraine.

This work examines an issue that affects the most important problems of today, in particular, the relationship between the norms and principles of international law and human rights and their basic freedoms during international armed conflicts, in connection with the violation of Article 2 of the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. One of the important issues of the relationship between the norms and principles of international human rights law and their fundamental freedoms, which apply to Article 2 of the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and violate it, is highlighted. The purpose of this work is to identify problems related to the protection of human rights and freedoms during armed conflict, on the basis of the analysis of current international and national legislation, including taking into account specific features in Ukraine. One of the main analytical methods is a comparative analysis that analyzes international humanitarian law and international human law by comparing national practice of implementing human rights protection systems with a legal framework governing the subject of research at several national and international levels. It is noted that international humanitarian law plays an important role in respecting and regulating human rights during armed conflict. This article explains the main differences between international humanitarian law and international human rights. It analyzes the protection of human rights in accordance with international human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as retrospectively analyzes their formation. According to the results of comparative analysis, the conclusion was made that t he overwhelming number of modern armed conflicts is not international in nature, which is defined Features of human rights protection in these conditions. The formation of legal regulation and its c hanges from the very beginning of the armed conflict in Ukraine and the state of human rights protection .

In the scientific literature, scientific research is defined as the process of studying, experimenting, conceptualizing and verifying a theory related to obtaining scientific knowledge. International legal regulation of scientific research in various fields of science is carried out within the framework of international cooperation in the field of science. It should be noted that there are two general types of international legal regulation of scientific research: universal and regional. The article analyzes international legal norms and standards at the universal and regional levels related to scientific research and compliance with scientific ethics. The main international rules relating to this field establish rules regarding the conduct of scientific research. For example, any scientific research should be conducted in accordance with generally accepted human rights standards. International documents adopted in the field of scientific research can be divided into two parts: international agreements adopted between States and international legal acts adopted within the framework of international organizations. The article mainly analyzes international legal acts adopted within the framework of international organizations. Scientific research should be conducted responsibly, with respect for the rights of both scientific workers (researchers) and persons who are the objects of research. Scientific research must be conducted in good faith and the code of ethics must be observed in the course of research. The purpose of the article is to analyze international legal norms and standards for conducting scientific research and observing scientific ethics based on scientific works in this field and thereby determine the level of international legal regulation of conducting scientific research and observing scientific ethics.

The article reveals the role of the judiciary in the context of ensuring the protection of human rights and freedoms in terms of practical approach. It was found that ensuring the protection of human rights and freedoms in Ukraine is regulated by the Constitution of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine «On the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine» and the Law of Ukraine «On Citizens' Appeals». It is established that in Ukraine judicial protection is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, in particular in Article 55, according to which the rights and freedoms of man and citizen in particular are protected by the court. It is proved that the functioning of the constitutional mechanism for the protection of human rights and freedoms can occur only if the state actively participates in ensuring such rights and freedoms. It is determined that an important component of subjective human rights is the right to judicial protection, which should be realized not only in the direct dimension, but also through the activities of state bodies or bodies or organizations authorized by the state. It is established that the concept of «protection» from the standpoint of the legal aspect is interpreted as a legal obligation of the state in the face of bodies, organizations or officials authorized by it, and as the ability of a person to exercise personal subjective right. It was clarified that the concept of «protection of human rights and freedoms» should be interpreted as a set of measures of organizational and legal nature to ensure legal protection or remove obstacles that arise in the context of the exercise of subjective rights and rights to restore such rights, if they were violated with the application of measures on this basis in the form of punishment of the offenders. It is proposed under the mechanism of protection of human and civil rights and freedoms, in particular, to define a holistic, legally enshrined and at the same time dynamic system, which includes subjects, objects, methods and means of protection of human and civil rights and freedoms. to neutralize illegal obstacles, as well as to prevent the emergence of new obstacles. It is proved that the mechanism of protection of human and civil rights and freedoms in particular should consist of institutional and functional systems. It is noted that the prospects for further research in this area are to determine the requirements for the incompatibility of the position of a judge with other activities in a comparative constitutional and legal aspect.

It is established that international standards in the field of human rights are developed by international organizations and institutions, specified in the process of law enforcement of international judicial agencies, and subsequently applied in certain national systems, directly influencing the development of legislation and national practice of protecting the convicts. It is noted that international standards for ensuring the rights of persons sentenced to imprisonment define the mandatory or recommended for states normative minimum legal status of a convict, including his legal protection and the relevant legalities and responsibilities of state agencies and officials. The content and characteristic features of international legal standards in the field of human rights are determined. The main forms of using international legal norms, principles, rules and recommendations on the legal status of persons sentenced to imprisonment in the national legislation of Ukraine are highlighted; their content is analyzed. It is emphasized that the practical solution to the problem of application of international standards of convicts’ treatment in the penitentiary system of Ukraine, in particular, provides: prevention of prohibited methods of treatment of convicts that degrade their human dignity; ensuring the legality of the activities of the staff of penitentiary institutions and agencies; bringing the conditions of detention of convicts into compliance, providing proper medical care, general education and vocational training of convicts, etc.; creation of an effective system of resocialization and social adaptation of convicts; expansion of public control over the observance of the rights of convicts while serving a criminal sentence in the form of imprisonment.