Managing the Ebb and Flow of Sanctions Reform: An Important Role for Non-Permanent Members

Abstract

There is perhaps no area of Security Council activity where the collective fingerprints of non-permanent members are more evident than that of sanctions reform. Non-permanent members have been at the vanguard of practically all major efforts to refine and improve the Council’s decision-making surrounding the application, administration, and implementation of sanctions under Article 41 of the UN Charter.1 Indeed, non-permanent member contributions have been particularly noticeable at critical moments when the reputation of sanctions, and consequently that of the Council itself, has been tarnished by their disproportionate impact on the lives of innocent civilians.