That is main message Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding,Rosemary A. DiCarloDelivered next Monday Security Council in Monday’s debate on sanctions, focusing on the unintended consequences that result from them, especially in a humanitarian context.
According to Ms. DiCarlo, There are currently 14 Council sanctions regimes in place around the world.
These sanctions aid in conflict resolution in Libya, Mali, South Sudan and Yemen; prevent unconstitutional government changes in places like Guinea Bissau; and to limit the illegal exploitation of natural resources that fund the activities of armed groups in Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.
They also limit the incremental activities of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the terrorist threat posed by Islamic terrorist groups (ISIL), Al-Qaida and their affiliates.
However, according to the UN’s head of political affairs, the sanctions “are not the end in themselves”.
“To be effective, sanctions must be part of a comprehensive political strategy that works in tandem with direct political dialogue, mediation, peacekeeping and missions,” she explains. special politics”.
Targeted measures
In recent years, Security Council Ms. DiCarlo said she tried to avoid adverse consequences for civilians and Third Party States.
For example, in the case of an arms embargo, exemptions are often granted for the import of non-lethal equipment needed for humanitarian relief.
In the case of travel bans, exemptions are provided for medical or religious reasons or for participation in peace processes; an exemption for an asset freeze authorizes payments for food, utilities, or medicine.
The Security Council has also created permanent humanitarian waivers in Somalia and Afghanistan, as well as case-by-case waivers in Libya, Yemen and North Korea.
Sanctions are also “continuously adjusted” in response to changes in practice, the political chief said, highlighting how the Council ended sanctions on Eritrea and scaled it down. substantial provisions of the arms embargo in CAR.
As a result of these changes, only one Member State reported facing “exceptional economic problems” arising from Council sanctions over the past decade.
Humanitarian goals
Rosemary DiCarlo, Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding, summarizes the United Nations Security Council meeting on general issues related to sanctions. UN photo / Ekinder Debebe
The past 10 years have also shown that sanctions can do more than restrict the flow of weapons and ammunition or fund armed groups. Almost all current regimes strive to uphold international humanitarian standards.
For example, in 2020, humanitarian obligations helped to free kidnapped women and children from military bases in South Sudan; in the DRC, it opened the space to negotiate the release of children of armed groups.
‘Unmistakable signal’
Sanctions have also become more targeted, with more than 50 individuals and organizations listed.
Such is the case of Sultan Zabin, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Sanaa, Yemen, who was sanctioned for torture and sexual violence in conflict; and Ahmed Ag Albachar, the self-proclaimed “humanitarian commissioner” of the resilient Kidal region in Mali, for hindering the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
“Imposing sanctions just for such behavior is a relatively recent and welcome step. Its use sends an unmistakable signal” Ms. DiCarlo argued.
Concerns
For the Secretary-General, the progression from comprehensive sanctions to targeted has marked a major shift, but concerns remain.
The continued difficulty in revitalizing the banking process for humanitarian transfers to North Korea, since its collapse in 2017, is a prime example of the challenges that arise, she said.
“Financial institutions and other service providers may impose additional conditions, increase their costs, or simply refuse to provide the requested goods and services, thereby preventing providing humanitarian assistance,” said Ms. DiCarlo.
© UNICEF / Delil Souleiman
Women, children and other vulnerable groups are more likely to suffer from unilateral sanctions that affect their human rights.
Arguing that more can be done, she shares an example of 2615 . resolutionwas approved late last year to create a humanitarian waiver to help the people of Afghanistan.
Similar permanent waivers in other sanctions regimes can go a long way in meeting the essential needs of civilians, she concluded.
Daily work
Head of Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffithsalso mark Waivers Approved for Afghanistansay they have allowed operations to resume.
The humanitarian chief explained that sanctions can be wise and targeted, but compliance is an everyday element of the work of the UN and its partners.
“They can affect our logistics, our finances, our ability to deliver. They can lead to delayed or stalled humanitarian projects. And some may threaten the well-being of civil society as a whole“, I said.
According to Mr Griffiths, who also serves as the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, sanctions imposed by Member States themselves are often broader in scope than those imposed by the Council. Security imposed.
Concerns
The humanitarian chief then shared some of his concerns, such as the difficulty of engaging with the individuals or entities listed, who sometimes wield significant control over the lives of people. life of the entire population.
He also said that Banks and other commercial operators, for the purpose of avoiding any risk of penalties, can effectively refuse services intended for humane customers.; Commercial operators trading food, fuel or other essentials may also decide to be cautious, leading to shortages and price increases.
Finally, when ministries and departments are run by listed individuals, sanctions can limit the delivery of social services and economic stability – a consequence that is clearly not predictable.
Offer
To mitigate this, the Secretary-General suggested several areas for action.
Mr Griffiths has asked the Council to develop comprehensive humanitarian practices in all regimes from the outset, rather than current case-by-case authorization procedures that can be “cluttered and inefficient”.
These remedies and exceptions should be “smoothly translated into national legislation,” he said, to ease the concerns of humanitarian donors, NGOs and public companies. private company.
