Sanctions are a fact of life, but the question is: should they be sanctioned? In a global economy, it is important to consider what methods actually work
As children, we are taught that every negative action has negative consequences. A logical extension of that concept is that actions deemed inappropriate or contrary to a government's interests would be subject to sanctions programs that ultimately aim to have an undesirable impact on a country in a way that forces a change in behavior. It means you can deal with it.
However, as sanctions are applied more frequently and over longer periods of time, it becomes unclear whether they actually have the desired effect on the behavior in question, or whether the harms ultimately outweigh the benefits. .
term sanctions is often used in a way that suggests it is just a single action, such as stopping business from doing business between companies. On the contrary, sanctions are generally issued as follows: program The decision will be based on the nature of the violation and the current diplomatic situation of the country in question.
There are seven basic types of sanctions: economic, diplomatic, military, sports, individual, environmental, and UN Security Council sanctions. Any of these sanctions can be used to deter or punish anything from human rights violations to drug smuggling and human trafficking. The more egregious the offending country's actions (or inaction), the more countries and organizations will use their own sanctions programs. The idea is that when sanctions isolate a country or its economy, it cannot afford to continue the behavior that led other countries to take these measures.
Narges Bajogli, an anthropologist and assistant professor of Middle East studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, outlines two main ways sanctions affect change: “They are thought to either put enough pressure on the government and the targeted nation state to change their behavior, or to put enough pressure on society to rebel against the state and then topple it,” Bajogli explains, adding: In both instances, sanctions function as a passive but coercive tactic.
“which one [sanctions are] It would put enough pressure on the regime and the targeted state to change its behavior, or it would put enough pressure on society to rise up against the state and overthrow it. ”
— Narges Bajogri
Agathe Desmaret, in her writings Counterproductive: How sanctions are reshaping the world against US interests “The reality is that sanctions are sometimes effective, but most of the time they are not. And it is difficult to predict exactly when they will be effective…At one end of the response spectrum, they are At the other end of the spectrum of diplomacy, which can feel like too much verbal statements, are deadly, costly, and unpopular military interventions. It bridges the gap between these two extreme options.”
Selecting the type of sanction
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) manages and enforces sanctions programs against targeted groups. There are two main types of sanctions lists maintained by OFAC. One is the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, which is a list of individuals and businesses from countries subject to U.S. sanctions. The Consolidated Sanctions List contains details about restricted parties not included in the SDN List. In the United States, these lists help track sanctions programs and prevent people from unknowingly doing business with sanctioned parties. It also holds financial institutions accountable and deprives them of economic benefits from doing business with these organizations and individuals.
Two of the most recent examples of sanctions have been imposed against Iran and Russia. These sanctions programs directly or indirectly affect these countries and some individuals or entities that trade or benefit from these countries. However, these are not the only active sanctions enacted by the United States at this time. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the United States currently has 32 active programs that sanction organizations and countries (and individuals associated with them) for violations such as terrorism support, drug trafficking, arms proliferation, and human rights violations.
For example, the sanctions program against Cuba is one of the oldest programs used by the United States, with several rounds of sanctions dating back to 1962. The longevity of the Cuba sanctions program suggests that. is not achieve its intended objectives. Moreover, there are concerns that the sanctions may actually limit humanitarian aid into the country. By most measures, the effectiveness of the U.S. sanctions program against Cuba is questionable, and the longer the program continues the more it will require review and consideration.
The sanctions program against Russia was only recently launched after the country invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but the sanctions have not fully curbed its current military actions, which Russia had called for an end. Even if certain aid cuts and trade restrictions have triggered some of the intended immediate reactions, the impact of these sanctions has not been as immediate as initially hoped. But this is one example of what sanctions programs seem to be becoming. even more effective As other countries and multinational corporations join in enacting their own sanctions.
It is important to note that the more countries that join a sanctions package, the more effective it will be. If a country or humanitarian organization refuses to participate in a sanctions program, its continued contribution to the target country's economy softens the blow to its people and government, making it more difficult to create conditions that force change.
