As
we have seen in the last two posts, economic sanctions can be taken
by sovereigns against one-another. In addition, the UN can also
impose sanctions on a single country.
This
type of sanction is not only the most effective (“All UN countries
against one country.”) but also the most difficult to obtain. The
reason is that a UN sanction requires a Security Council resolution,
decided either unanimously or by some UN member states.
UN
sanctions intend protecting international peace and security. They
can take the form of interruptions of economic relations, arms
embargoes, travel restrictions, aviation bans, communication
restrictions, and financial restrictions.
When
elaborating sanctions, the UN Security Council must
- duly consider the feasibility and the implications of targeted sanctions;
- be clear about the behavior it intends to change;
- clearly define the scope of the sanctions and how they can be eased or lifted;
- put up a credible mechanism to monitor the sanctions regime.
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