Limiting the Role of Economic Sanctions

While sanctions are often presented as a limited and politically palatable response to international conflict, indiscriminate applications often harm young and vulnerable people. For example, one Iranian resident recently told NPR that the single greatest consequence of crippling US sanctions is “the loss of hope in the younger generation.” Due to the cruel humanitarian consequences and ineffectiveness at changing countries’ behavior, the role of sanctions in the US foreign policy toolkit should be carefully reconsidered. As the US-led international financial system continues to erode, sanctions in that forum are likely to become even less effective. Targeted and personal sanctions, however, can be effective tools to curtail the harmful actions of oligarchs violating the human rights of their fellow citizens.

The United States should:

• Ensure that sanctions are targeted and precise (i.e. directed at individuals, offshore accounts, or tax havens). This can be an effective method to modify individual behavior, especially in cases involving human rights violations.

• Carve out legitimate and functional humanitarian exemptions to reduce the impacts of sanctions on civilians.

• Offer clear assurances that sanctions will be lifted if the harmful actions cease, and provide a road-map for doing so. Sanctions should never be indefinite.