Types of Sanctions

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Learn about the different kinds of sanctions imposed by international entities and countries. Understand how they affect the overall living conditions of the country they are imposed upon.

In the midst of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Palestine conflict, it is important to understand the concept of international sanctions. These are powerful tools which are used by international organizations, and countries which can have a lot of effect on the way other nations and groups behave with the one imposing these.

There are many reasons as to why sanctions are imposed and can take many forms depending on why they are required. Most often they are imposed for maintaining peace, preventing war and acts of aggression, promoting human rights, and maintaining financial security. These reasons determine which type of sanction is going to be used.

Economic Sanctions

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Economic sanctions are very important tools of control and effect used in international relations and by nations and organizations. These can effectively influence the behaviour of the sanctioned group without specially resorting to any military action. There are two types of economic sanctions you need to look out for:

Trade Sanctions – These sanctions are used for controlling and restricting the import and export of trade items from the sanctioning country to the sanctioned one or vice versa. In this type of sanction, either every type of item is prohibited from being traded or a specific restriction is placed on some certain items.
Financial Sanctions – In the case of Financial Sanctions, the sanctioning country targets the financial and economic assets of the sanctioned country. This can take on the form of restriction on financial markets, transactions, and other assets which are important.

Both of these economic sanctions are very effective for bringing change between the parties involved. The success mostly depends on how much cooperation and support is offered by the international community. If imposed properly, these can lead to changes in important policies and also, resolve conflicts without involving any violence. But if not, they can also cause humanitarian crises which directly slow down the rate of development in the sanctioned countries.

Sports Sanctions

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Sports sanctions are also a thing and are quite effective on the international stage. These are penalties which respond to geopolitical issues by acting as a tool to maintain integrity in the sports community. Their severity varies according to the violation made and there are quite a few ways to impose these.

There are bans and suspensions on athletes, teams, and even the country as a whole, as in the case of Russia which wasn’t allowed to compete in the Olympics because of its involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. Many-a-times, titles are stripped away from the winner(s) if they are found to have been won by using illicit methods. This also includes financial penalties and fines which are taken from the culprit if they are found guilty.

Diplomatic Sanctions

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Diplomatic Sanctions are another method of sanctioning a nation, country, or group which don’t rely on military and violent action to bring about change. Unlike the previous two types of sanctions, Diplomatic Sanctions seek to control the diplomatic relations of the offending nation. This is done by resorting to a few methods:

The sanctioning country can start by either reducing or completely severing ties between the offending nation and the international community. For example, the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States has severely reduced the communication between the two countries as well as between Iran and other countries.
This is also done by expelling diplomats which disrupts international activity in the sanctioned country.
And lastly, these countries are also expelled from international organizations which limits their participation in global matters.

Military Sanctions

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Military sanctions are most often the last measures adopted in such cases because no country or international body wants to resort to violence at the very start. These are imposed for limiting the nation’s military ability, deter aggression, promote peace, and reduce conflict.

There are different ways by which military sanctions can be imposed:

Arm Embargoes prevent the sale or export of military equipment from or to the target nation. As an example, we can take the case of the United States which has sanctioned North Korea and Iran in this regard.
The sanctioning country can also restrict military aid which suspends or directly cancels the military assistance and support being given to the target nation.
And lastly, even the use of military technology is sanctioned for stopping the overall military development of the target nation.

Environmental Sanctions

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Lastly, there are environmental sanctions which are penalties put on target groups and nations to promote the compliance of these groups with environmental laws and regulations. These play a very important role in today’s age when climate change and environmental degradation have become huge issues for human kind.

These also have different methods of control which include fines, remediation orders, suspensions of permits, and legal prosecution if the need arises. All of these are imposed on the basis of how severe the damage is and have effective results.

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