CIAO DATE: 05/2014
April 2014
This report assesses the United Nations Security Council’s current approach to drawing down sanctions in intrastate war situations. After examining broader questions surrounding the UN’s authority to impose sanctions and the corresponding limits on these powers, the report assesses criteria used by the Council to terminate sanctions. It observes that Council-mandated sanctions tend to last substantially longer than sanctions by regional organizations, and argues that when the objectives of a sanctions regime are met, sanctions should be amended, repealed, or terminated as soon as possible. In keeping with this goal, the report argues that benchmarks for drawing down sanctions should be concrete and realizable. It also suggests that the practice of applying incentives can be instrumental to the termination of conflict.
Resource link: Terminating Security Council Sanctions [PDF] - 1.8M