Sanctions

Sanctions fall into a number of categories.

Economic sanctions

Economic sanctions are commercial and financial penalties that typically ban customary trade and financial relations. These penalties can include:

• levying import duties on goods to the sanctioned country
• restricting the export of particular goods from the country
• blocking the sanctioned country’s ports

Diplomatic sanctions

Diplomatic sanctions are political measures that aim to demonstrate displeasure with or disapproval of certain actions, stopping short of taking economic or military steps. Such sanctions generally involve reducing or removing diplomatic ties, such as eliminating embassies or cancelling high-level government meetings.

Military sanctions

Military sanctions – called on only in extraordinary circumstances – involve the intervention of armed forces. Such sanctions can vary, for example, from arms embargoes to targeted military strikes.

Sport sanctions

Sports sanctions are restrictions that prevent a country’s athletes from competing in international events. The idea behind these types of sanctions is to draw the world’s attention to the sanctioned entity and to hurt the spirit and morale of the country and its people.

Sanctions on individuals

The UNSC can establish sanctions on political leaders or economic individuals. Sanctions against individuals might include freezing the person’s assets or imposing travel bans on them.

Sanctions on environment

Sanctions regarding the environment are reasonably new, but international environmental protection cooperation and efforts are ongoing given recent concerns over environmental issues. Such issues typically might apply to endangered species, environmental laws and ozone-depleting chemicals.

UNSC Sanctions and OFAC

UNSC sanctions comprise these types and address a number of objectives. Measures range from comprehensive economic and trade sanctions to more targeted actions, including arms embargoes, travel bans, and financial or commodity restrictions. Additionally, the UN applies sanctions to

• support, maintain or restore international peace and security
• deter non-constitutional changes
• hinder terrorism
• protect human rights
• promote nonproliferation

OFAC oversees and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security objectives against targeted:

• foreign countries and regimes
• terrorists
• international narcotics traffickers
• persons or groups engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the US

OFAC publishes lists of individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries. It also lists individuals, groups and entities such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. Collectively, the agency refers to such individuals and companies as specially designated nationals (SDNs). OFAC blocks their assets, and Americans are generally prohibited from dealing with them.