Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 December 2017
57. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a review of the effectiveness and utility of economic sanctions placed on other states as a tool of coercive diplomacy is under way or planned by his Department. [53197/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraRestrictive measures, also referred to as ‘sanctions’, are legally binding measures which may be taken against individuals, entities or countries. Such measures can cover a variety of elements including financial services (e.g. asset freezes), immigration (visa and travel bans) and trade (e.g. export restrictions).
The objective in adopting sanctions is to bring about a change in policy and/ or behaviour by the target of the measures. For example sanctions may be applied in response to repression, human rights abuses or violations of international law. As such, sanctions are an important foreign policy tool and a part of an integrated and comprehensive approach to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives including safeguarding security and preserving peace, conflict prevention, and the support of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and international law.
Sanctions adopted by the United Nations Security Council are binding on all United Nations Member States. They are subject to EU measures in order to ensure their consistent implementation throughout the EU. The EU may also adopt its own sanctions, known as autonomous EU measures, as a tool of its Common Foreign and Security Policy.
These sanctions are targeted to minimise the consequences for those not responsible for the actions that have triggered them, e.g. the local civilian population. For example, economic sanctions often take the form of asset freezes for targeted individuals rather than blanket economic restrictions on a country. A key principle of EU sanctions is that they must respect fundamental human rights and fundamental freedoms, with a particular emphasis on the right to due process. In addition, where appropriate, EU sanctions regimes include exemptions and derogations to ensure mitigation of any unintended humanitarian consequences.
Restrictive measures in force are kept under constant review to ensure that they continue to contribute towards achieving their stated objectives. Ireland engages fully in this process at EU level.
