Sanctions Law

Alena Douhan notes that unilateral sanctions challenge many aspects of international human rights law. The occurrence of overcompliance by institutions such as banks may pose risks to initiatives aimed at protecting human rights. This danger is well illustrated by Charles Chilufya, S.J. and Fernando Saldivar, S.J., who identify the ‘chilling effect’ that economic sanctions can have on poverty reduction and sustainable development. These discussions concerning the potential devastating impact of unilateral sanctions are made relevant to the South African context when considering the proposed U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Bill of 2025 (the Bilateral Relations Bill).

This volume, Economic Sanctions from Havana to Baghdad: Legitimacy, Accountability, and Humanitarian Consequences, published in 2026 by Cambridge University Press, seeks to incorporate many of the perspectives that have been underrepresented in the academic discourse. This includes the work of scholars from sanctioned countries, such as Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Cuba, and Syria. It also includes the perspectives of practitioners, such as attorneys and humanitarian aid workers. In addition, this volume addresses issues that are complex, but of great significance. For example, while sanctions often include humanitarian exemptions for food, the reality is that the regulatory regimes are so burdensome and unclear that private actors—banks, shipping companies, aid organizations, donors, insurers, and on and on—are driven away from engaging in even legal, humanitarian transactions.