Rethinking Sanctions: Important Questions for Canada to Consider

Summary

Now is the time to consider the utility of certain ‘targeted’ sanctions regimes imposed by Canada. Three cases involving sanctions applied by Canada against elites and decision-makers in Venezuela, Iran and North Korea point to a number of problems with Canadian sanctions measures and policy means versus unintended effects. The penchant by Western states to create sanctions coalitions of the willing is not having the desired effect to change rogue state behaviour and instead is doing irreparable harm. A number of questions are raised in this article that need to be asked and answered by academics and practitioners in concert rather than in parallel if sanctions are to be Canada’s foreign policy tool of choice to decry undesirable behaviour.

About the Author

Andrea Charron is an Associate Professor in Political Studies and Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba.

Erin Tramley is a third year law student at Robson Hall. She also holds an advanced degree in Political Studies from the University of Manitoba. She is the two-time winner of the University of Manitoba’s undergraduate research award.