The simplest way to describe international law is a system that is horizontal. It is a horizontal system between a limited number of actors, and those actors are the states. In this sense, international law is a horizontal system between states. This right is based primarily, though not exclusively, on consent. States must agree to the rules to which they will commit themselves. It is important to say that this is not exclusively the case, but it is primarily the case. Historically, states have been the only actors in international law. In this paper, the aim was to give a broader paradigm of the relationship between international law and human rights, and so the key assumptions were to identify the nature and sources of international law and then understand the relationship between international law and domestic law and international human rights law and fundamental freedoms, and in particular to examine the circumstances justifying the abolition of human rights by the protection of the higher good, as suggested by the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the great contributions of international human rights law in particular dates back to 1945, the end of World War II, when it was crucial to recognize the role that individuals play in international society. The idea that individuals should be recognized by the legal system governing states is actually relatively new. Article 3 of the Constitution defines the protection of human rights as the highest value of the constitutional order of the Republic of Croatia. A large number of treaties guaranteeing the protection and promotion of human rights at the global, international and regional levels have been ratified by the Republic of Croatia, the most important of which are: six United Nations human rights conventions, the European Convention on Human rights and fundamental freedoms, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution are part of the internal legal order of the Republic of Croatia, are legally above the law and courts can directly apply them when deciding on issues concerning the protection of human rights of individuals. The Covid-19 global pandemic has brought specific settings when it comes to the degree of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and there is increasing talk of abolishing human rights and fundamental freedoms to protect the population from infectious diseases, calling into question the proportionality test.