The Sanctions Program SPITS
Sanctions research has long been associated with the Department of Peace and Conflict Research (read more in under About SPITS). SPITS was initiated as the "Stockholm Process" by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs together with the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University in November 2001. The Stockholm Report: "Making Targeted Sanctions Effective" was delivered to the Security Council on February 25, 2003. The Stockholm Report can be accessed in full via the online publication catalogue DiVA.
The work has since then continued by:
- Deepening academic research on targeted sanctions, in systematic studies
- Contributing to policy making in the sanctions field, by producing reports based on research, and
- Keeping a website continuously updated on development on sanctions issues in the United Nations.
Furthermore, SPITS conducts studies:
- On particular sanctions situations: Notably Iraq, Burma/Myanmar, Western Africa and Angola.
- On particular types of sanctions: notably arms trade and individual sanctions. The report "United Nations Arms Embargoes: Their Impact on Arms Flows and Target Behaviour" can be accessed in full via the online publication catalogue DiVA.
- On particular senders of sanctions: notably EU and comparisons of EU and the UN.
- On sanctions in peacebuilding situations, where also positive sanctions become a concern. Applications have recently been submitted to Sida and USAID on this score.
Collaboration
The program collaborates with the Sanctions and Security Research Program which is a project of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and also with the UN Targeted Sanctions Consortium, based at The Graduate Institute, Geneva and the Watson Institute at Brown University.
Recent resolutions by the UNSC
Afghanistan
16 December 2022 – With Resolution 2665 the Security Council decides that all states shall continue to freeze assets, ban travel and prevent supply of arms for the Taliban and individuals associated with the Taliban in constituting a threat to the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan as designated by the Committee in the 1988 Sanction List (”the List”).
The mandate of the Monitoring Team is extended for a period of 12 months from the current mandate that expires in December 2022.
Haiti
21 October 2022 – With Resolution 2653 the Security Council decides to, for a period of one year, impose targeted measures in the form of arms embargo, travel ban and freezing of assets. The sanctions on travel and assets apply to listed individuals and entities engaged in actions that threaten the peace, security or stability of Haiti. A sanctions committee is established to monitor the implementation of the measures, designate individuals subject to the measures, to establish guidelines for the implementation of the measures, report to the Security Council and to encourage dialogue between the Committee and interested Member States in the region