What laws apply?
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions are governed by the Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 and the Charter of the United Nations (Dealing with Assets) Regulations 2008. Additionally, the provisions for each UNSC sanctions framework are specified in separate regulation instruments under the Charter of the United Nations Act 1945.
Australian autonomous sanctions are governed by the Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 and the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011. There is only one set of regulations under the Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011.
Sanctions Frameworks
See below, detailed information about the particular sanctions measures imposed by a particular sanctions framework:
- Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo sanctions frameworks
- Counter-Terrorism (UNSC 1373) sanctions framework
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) sanctions framework
- Former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia sanctions framework
- Guinea-Bissau sanctions framework
- Iran sanctions framework
- Iraq sanctions framework
- ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions frameworks
- Lebanon sanctions framework
- Libya sanctions framework
- Myanmar sanctions framework
- Russia sanctions framework
- Serious corruption sanctions framework
- Serious violation or serious abuses of human rights sanctions framework
- Significant cyber incidents sanctions framework
- Somalia sanctions framework
- Specified Ukraine regions sanctions framework
- Sudan and South Sudan sanctions frameworks
- Syria sanctions framework
- The Taliban sanctions framework
- Ukraine sanctions framework
- Yemen sanctions framework
- Zimbabwe sanctions framework
Reform of Australia’s Sanctions Laws
The Australian Government is reforming Australia's sanctions laws to ensure they are fit for purpose and easier to understand. Reforms will be finalised before the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011 sunset on 1 October 2027.
The reform process comprises the following phases:
- Review of Australia's sanctions laws (now complete)
- Government consideration of proposed reforms from the review (underway)
- Drafting legislative and regulatory amendments to implement reforms
- Release of exposure draft legislation for public consultation
- Passage of legislative reforms through Parliament.
Issues Paper
As part of phase 1, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) invited submissions to an Issues Paper on reforming Australia's sanctions laws, released on 30 January 2023:
- Issues Paper – Review of Australia's Autonomous Sanctions Framework [Word 400 KB]
- Issues Paper – Review of Australia's Autonomous Sanctions Framework [PDF 600 KB]
Submissions to the Issues Paper, and any other matter relevant to the Terms of Reference for the Review (provided below), closed on 26 February 2023.
- Terms of Reference – Review of the legal framework for autonomous sanctions [Word 210 KB]
- Terms of Reference – Review of the legal framework for autonomous sanctions [PDF 205 KB]
Submissions received by DFAT during this period are listed below. Some of the submissions received were provided in-confidence and have not been published.
Submissions Received
- Allens
- Australian Banking Association
- Australian Centre for International Justice
- Australian Council for International Development
- Australian Custodial Services Association
- Australian Financial Markets Association
- Care Australia
- Clifford Chance
- International Committee of the Red Cross and Australian Red Cross
- King & Wood Mallesons
- KordaMentha
- LexisNexis Risk Solutions
- Moulis Legal
- MUFG Bank
- Nyman Gibson Miralis Lawyers
- Professor Ben Saul
- Queensland University of Technology
- Refugee Council of Australia
- Save the Children
- Uniting Church in Australia
- The University of Queensland
- The University of Sydney
- Vietnamese Australian Lawyers' Association
Report on the review of Australia’s sanctions laws
DFAT’s Report on the review of Australia’s sanction’s laws provides stakeholders with a general overview of the review and next steps.