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Humanitarian Aspects of Sanctions Should Be Weighed





                 Thursday, November 26, 1998

                 Humanitarian Aspects of
                 Sanctions Should Be Weighed

                 UNITED NATIONS (Agencies) -- The UN Security
                 Council should consider the humanitarian aspect of
                 sanctions before imposing an embargo, according to a
                 report by the chairmen of UN sanctions committees.

                 The Security Council is due to discuss a report by the
                 chairmen of committees responsible for monitoring the
                 implementation of sanctions in eight countries.

                 The report notably says that "the Security Council
                 should, prior to imposing a new sanctions regime,
                 consider the humanitarian aspect of sanctions."

                 It also says that the experience of recent years
                 confirms that in many situations "it is preferable to use
                 the approach of a targeted and 'flexible response' as
                 opposed to 'massive retaliation.'"

                 "Given that all the United Nations sanctions currently
                 in operation, with the exception of those imposed on
                 Iraq, are targeted sanctions, it would be useful to take
                 stock of the experience gained and to formulate
                 general guidelines," the study said.

                 Targeted sanctions, such as arms embargoes, flight
                 bans, travel bans, and freezing of financial assets are
                 adopted to achieve certain political objectives "without
                 inflicting unnecessary hardship on the general
                 population," the report said.

                 It suggested that the 15-member council should be
                 able to adjust sanctions regimes to "certain legitimate
                 needs" such as the humanitarian situation in a given
                 country and the legitimate needs of neighboring
                 states.

                 UN sanctions committees comprise the 15 UN
                 Security Council members.

                 UN sanctions are currently in force in Angola, Federal
                 Republic of Yugoslavia, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, Sierra
                 Leone, Somalia and Sudan. An arms embargo remains
                 in force against Rwandan ex-government forces.



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