The Ljubljana Sanctions Conference 2025, co-organised by the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana and MINOS, brought together over 150 participants from across Europe and beyond to explore the rapidly evolving world of sanctions.

Maruša Veber, the Conference Chair, welcomed scholars, practitioners, and policymakers, encouraging an open exchange of ideas and collaboration. The conference was officially opened by Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, setting the stage for two days of rich discussion across 13 multidisciplinary panels.

The opening panel, “Sanctions in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape: Current Challenges and Emerging Complexities,” examined sanctions from both regional and global perspectives.

• Frank Hoffmeister (EEAS) discussed the legal basis, judicial review, and compliance of EU sanctions with international law.
• Matej Marn (Slovenian MFA) shared Slovenia’s perspective as an elected member of the UN Security Council and chair of the Lebanon and Iraq sanctions committees.
• Clara Portela outlined the shifting global framework of sanctions, highlighting the growing trend of unilateral sanctions replacing international ones — a development increasingly contested worldwide.

The discussions reflected on the possible bifurcation of the global sanctions system, drawing parallels to the Cold War and speculating on a renewed role for the UN General Assembly amid the paralysis of the Security Council.

Another highlight was the roundtable “Measuring the Impact of Sanctions (Against Russia): Effectiveness Across Disciplines,” moderated by Celia Challet. The session marked the presentation of the upcoming Elgar Encyclopedia on International Sanctions, edited by Clara Portela and Marko Sossali. Bringing together contributions from 80 scholars worldwide, the encyclopedia integrates diverse social science perspectives and offers a comprehensive overview of sanctions as a growing tool of global governance.

The conference concluded with the roundtable “Navigating the Future of Sanctions: Insights, Challenges, and Opportunities.” Speakers reflected on how sanctions have evolved from tools of international law enforcement to instruments deeply intertwined with global power politics. They discussed the erosion of the multilateral order, global economic decoupling, and the rise of sanctions as a preferred foreign policy instrument — a trend that could eventually see such measures turned against the EU itself.

Thank you to all participants for contributing to a truly multidisciplinary dialogue bridging academia and policy practice. Through debate and exchange, the Ljubljana Sanctions Conference reaffirmed the importance of studying sanctions not just as instruments of policy, but as reflections of broader transformations in global order.