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:
- Afghanistan sanctions framework
- Al-Shabaab 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
- Haiti 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
- Sanctioned vessels framework
- Serious corruption sanctions framework
- Serious violation or serious abuses of human rights sanctions framework
- Significant cyber incidents sanctions framework
- Specified Ukraine regions sanctions framework
- Sudan and South Sudan sanctions frameworks
- Syria 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, easier to understand and responsive to a rapidly changing geostrategic environment. The reforms will be implemented through three Bills and two pieces of subordinate legislation. The primary Bill underpinning the reforms is the Autonomous Sanctions Bill 2026.
A four-week public consultation period on the reforms commenced on Monday 7 September 2026 and will run until Friday 2 October 2026. During this consultation period, the Australian Government is seeking feedback on a point-in-time exposure draft of the Autonomous Sanctions Bill 2026. Feedback will inform the continued development of the primary Bill and other instruments enabling the reforms.
For further information about the public consultation period, please visit the Australian Sanctions Legislation Amendment Reforms page.
Previous consultation on Australia’s sanctions laws
On 30 January 2023, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) invited submissions on an Issues Paper on reforming Australia's sanctions laws.
- Issues Paper – Review of Australia's Autonomous Sanctions Framework [DOCX 400 KB]
- Issues Paper – Review of Australia's Autonomous Sanctions Framework [PDF 600 KB]
Submissions on the Issues Paper, and other matters relevant to the Terms of Reference for a review of autonomous sanctions laws (below), closed on 26 February 2023.
- Terms of Reference – Review of the legal framework for autonomous sanctions [DOCX 210 KB]
- Terms of Reference – Review of the legal framework for autonomous sanctions [PDF 205 KB]
The submissions DFAT received are below. Some submissions were provided in-confidence and have not been published.
- 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
On 30 October 2024, DFAT issued a report on the review of Australia’s sanction’s laws, providing stakeholders with a general overview of the review and next steps arising from it.