Sanctions Showdown: Are Unilateral Coercive Measures Legal Under International Law?

Dhruv Nitesh Thakker, Dr. DY Patil College of Law

ABSTRACT

The Origins of Unilateral Coercive Measures (UCM) can be traced back to 432 BC when Athens imposed a trade embargo on the traders of Megara from its marketplaces. Ever since then the tool of unilateral sanctions has evolved to arms embargo, sanctions on targeted individuals, etc. The proponents of UCMs consider it to be a powerful diplomatic tool for the maintenance of international peace and security, especially when there is a lack of agreement or consensus purely due to political reasons. However, the critics substantiate that UCMs are just political measures for strong-arming nations, individuals or even organisations who do not fall in line with the respective nations’ policies.

This essay aims to evaluate both the sides and comment on the applicability and legality of sanctions both when authorised by the United Nations Security Council or when imposed unilaterally by a nation or an organisation such as the European Union.