
The Institute for Peace & Diplomacy co-hosted “Can Sanctions Succeed: Reflecting on a Decade of Financial Coercion” in collaboration with Bourse & Bazaar Foundation. The virtual panel was held on October 20th from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (EST) and can be watched on YouTube.
You can also find a summary report of the panel here.
Webinar Description
Over the last decade, sanctions have become a dominant tool of foreign policy. U.S. policymakers, in particular, have embraced sanctions as a seemingly low-cost means to try and coerce states to change behaviors. Yet the most significant unilateral and multilateral sanctions programs–imposed on Iran, Venezuela, Syria, and Cuba–have yet to lead to durable diplomatic breakthroughs. Even so, sanctions are being imposed in an increasing number of cases, reflecting an assumption among policymakers that they are an effective tool. This panel discussion will go back to basics and ask “can sanctions succeed,” assessing how sanctions work, how they are applied, and the goals they are intended to achieve.
Moderator:
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj: Founder and CEO of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation.
Panelists
Mahsa Rouhi: Associate Professor and Research Fellow at National Defence University
George Lopez: Professor Emeritus of Peace Studies at Notre Dame
Brian O’Toole: Senior Non-Resident Fellow at Atlantic Council
Gregoire Mallard: Director of Research at Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
If you are interested in learning more about the causes, effects, and solutions of sanctions, here is a piece by Grégoire Mallard, Farzan Sabet, and Jin Sun titled, The Humanitarian Gap in the Global Sanctions Regime: Assessing Causes, Effects, and Solutions.