What are international sanctions?
Simply put, sanctions are like a punishment that is imposed by one country onto another country (or group of countries). The idea of a sanction is to see a change of behaviour from a country, by forcing the government (or leader) to make changes in exchange for the sanctions being lifted.
Sanctions can be seen as a diplomatic alternative to going to war with another country (although whether that’s true is hotly debated).
Not only can countries impose sanctions, but organisations like The United Nations can do so as well.
Let’s get familiar with some fancy terms
Unilateral sanction: When one country is imposing a sanction on another
Multilateral sanction: When multiple countries are in support of imposing a sanction
You’re telling me there are different types of sanctions?
Yes. From political, to economic, to environmental, and even sport sanctions (plus there’s even more). We’ll mostly be looking at economic and political sanctions.
What are some real life examples of sanctions?
Many sanctions have been imposed over time, but here are some widely spoken about ones:
The UN imposed financial and trade sanctions on Iraq, four days after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. The sanctions were implemented to pressure Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait, and to encourage Iraq to disclose and get rid of any suspected weapons of mass destruction.
Iran has also faced sanctions for its nuclear weaponry arsenal. Under President Obama, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) saw economic sanctions lifted against Iran in exchange for a commitment to limiting the proliferation of nuclear weaponry.
Most recently, the U.S. along with allies have imposed sanctions on officials in China over human rights abuses against the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority group.
But like anything, there’s controversy
In true political form, there’s always debate, and sanctions are certainly no exception. We’ve highlighted some of the arguments here:
Supporters of sanctions argue that sanctions are a better alternative to no action, and give reason to keep countries accountable. Those in favour also highlight that sanctions can be an successful tool for effecting change without hard military intervention.
Opponents argue that on a humanitarian level, the consequences of sanctions can often be felt by citizens. This can be in the form of goods becoming more expensive or increasing economic distress on a nation.