United Nations Security Council Sanctions
What are sanctions?
Sanctions are punitive or coercive measures against a state or its nationals. Australia has in place two types of sanctions regimes: UN Security Council sanctions and bilateral sanctions.
UN Security Council Sanctions
Article 41 of the UN Charter allows the Security Council to impose sanctions against nations which pose a threat to international peace and security. As a UN member state, Australia is obliged to implement UN Security Council sanctions domestically.
UN Security Council sanctions regimes can include arms embargoes, travel sanction, financial restrictions, civil aviation restrictions and import/export bans of certain commodities. Sanctions may also include down-grading or suspension of diplomatic ties.
Each UN Security Council sanctions regime is overseen by a Security Council Sanctions Committee. These committees report on compliance with sanctions regimes, compile a list of individuals of concern who will be subject to travel and/or financial sanctions and perform any other duties assigned to them by the Security Council.
(More information on Security Council sanction committees)
Bilateral sanctions
Australia imposes sanctions on certain countries and individuals to support our foreign policy objectives. Australia currently has in place targeted sanctions regimes against Zimbabwe, the former Yugoslavia and North Korea.
As with UN Security Council Sanctions, bilateral sanctions regimes can include arms embargoes, travel sanctions, financial sanctions, civil aviation restrictions and import/export bans of certain commodities. They can also include a down-grading or suspension of diplomatic and cultural ties.
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