Improving sanctions
In recent years, improvements have been made to the sanctions instrument. To a greater degree, the international community has begun to use targeted sanctions to safeguard international peace and security, or to promote democracy and human rights.
Sweden has long advocated a more effective use of sanctions for peaceful influence.
In 2001 and 2002, Sweden and Germany jointly organised a number of seminars on targeted sanctions. The seminars comprised a follow-up to the work done by Switzerland in 2001 on targeted financial sanctions, the "Interlaken Process".
The "Bonn-Berlin Process" produced recommendations on targeted sanctions on travel, aviation controls and arms embargoes. The practical aspects of implementing and monitoring sanctions regimes were dealt with in the "Stockholm Process". The results of this work were presented to the UN Security Council in February 2003.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has subsequently followed up the Stockholm Process. This has included providing funds to Uppsala University for implementing case studies on whether the sanctions against Côte d´Ivoire and Liberia have achieved their objectives. In 2007, a study carried out by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and Uppsala University with proposals on how the UN arms embargo can be made more effective was presented.
Initiative for increasing due process protection
In 2005, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland launched a joint project for increasing due process protection in the sanctions system. The project was a continuation of the work on improving targeted sanctions carried out by the countries earlier.
In 2006, a report was presented at a seminar in New York attended by some 50 people, including members of the UN Security Council. The report identified shortcomings in due process protection and with regard to human rights. The report also presented concrete proposals for improving the procedures when taking decisions on sanctions against individuals, i.e. listing and de-listing, and proposals on a review mechanism. The report was produced by the Watson Institute at Brown University in the United States, and can be downloaded via the link to the right.
The issue of improved due process procedures when taking decisions on sanctions targeted against individuals in the UN Security Council and its sanctions committees have received particular focus in recent years following high profile judgments by EU courts. Several listings within the framework of UN sanctions against terrorism that target individuals have been rejected. Together with other like-minded European countries, Sweden has been involved in trying to persuade the UN Security Council to change its procedures so as to increase due process protection for sanctions targeting individuals. A number of reports produced in connection with the Swedish Presidency of the EU in autumn 2009 were part of this. The work has achieved some success in that the procedures have gradually been improved. The lists are now regularly reviewed, and in 2010 the UN Secretary-General established the Office of the Ombudsperson, tasked with helping individuals when lodging complaints.
EU courts have also occasionally rejected various sanctions independently imposed by the EU due to a lack of due process protection. The EU has therefore been improving its own procedures since 2007.
