Gulf News
By Kofi Annan and Kishore Mahbubani
19 December 2015
A rethink on sanctions necessary
They do serve some purpose, but excessive dependence on them as a coercive tool can be counterproductive
Today, the United Nations Security Council has more sanctions
regimes in place than at any time in its history. During the 1990s, the
maximum was eight. In the 2000s, the peak rose to 12; now it stands at
16. And these totals do not include sanctions imposed by the European
Union (EU) and the United States. Judging by this escalation, one might
conclude that sanctions have proved a remarkably effective tool in
promoting international peace and security. Unfortunately, that is far
from being the case.
In fact, studies suggest that sanctions have had limited
success. Thomas Biersteker of the Graduate Institute in Geneva estimates
that sanctions are effective only about 20 per cent of the time.
According to Oxford University's Adam Roberts, "There are very few cases
where you can definitely identify sanctions as having had a success,
except sometimes in combination with other factors". For example, while
the US and EU sanctions on Myanmar may have contributed to the country's
decision to open up its economy and engage in gradual political reform,
fear of becoming overly reliant on China may have been a bigger
consideration.http://gulfnews.com/opinion/thinkers/a-rethink-on-sanctions-necessary-1.1640274
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