Economic and Legal Nature of Sanctions: Degree of Their Legality and Efficiency In Terms of International Law
https://doi.org/10.22394/2686-7834-2023-4-24-34
Abstract
With the increase in the number of international legal obligations and the absence of centralized institutional enforcement, economic coercion has become increasingly widespread as a tool for ensuring compliance with international law. The purpose of this work is to study the concept of “sanctions / unilateral restrictive measures” in the framework of the political, legal and economic analysis. Due to the lack of a common understanding of the nature of unilateral restrictive measures, the author analyzes and highlights the main features of sanctions. Based on the features identified, the author formulated a definition that is universal for most modern jurisdictions. Sanctions are understood as extraterritorial measures and/or restrictions in the economic sector used by the initiating state (or a group of such states) unilaterally for the purpose of political coercion of the target state. The paper argues for the need for a clear separation of multilateral and unilateral sanctions, the latter of which do not have a sufficient degree of legality in terms of international law. A solution to the problem of the lack of an established standard for assessing the effectiveness of economic sanctions is also proposed by clearly specifying the criteria and fixing them in international practice and regulatory documents. It is concluded that the use of the term “restrictive economic measures” instead of the term “sanctions” is legally more correct. The necessity of unification of international legal norms regulating the procedure, possibility and consequences of the application of unilateral sanctions is pointed out.
About the Author
E. S. Rodionova
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Rodionova Elizaveta Sergeevna, student of the single track Master’s Degree — Postgraduate Program of the Department of Legal Regulation of Business, study assistant
Moscow
References
1. Bakhin, S. V., Eremenko, I. Yu. Unilateral Economic “Sanctions” and International Law [Odnostoronnie ekonomicheskie «sankczii» i mezhdunarodnoe pravo]. SPS ConsultantPlus. (In Rus.)
2. Boguslavsky, M. M. International Economic Law [Mezhdunarodnoe ekonomicheskoe pravo]. M.: International relations, 1986. 303 p. (In Rus.)
3. Vasilenko, V. A. International Legal Sanctions [Mezhdunarodno-pravovye sankczii]. Kyiv: Vishcha shkola, 1982. 229 p. (In Rus.)
4. Grotsy, G. On the Right of War and Peace [O prave vojny i mira]. M.: Ladomir, 1994. 868 p. (In Rus.)
5. Doraev, M. G. Economic Sanctions in the Law of the USA, the European Union and Russia [Ekonomicheskie sankczii v prave ShA, Evropejskogo soyuza i Rossii]. M.: Infotropic Media, 2016. 216 p. (In Rus.)
6. Eremina, A. E. Economic Sanctions: Concept, Typology, Features [Ekonomicheskie sankczii: ponyatie, tipologiya, osobennosti]. Post-Soviet Continent [Postsovetskij materik], 2019. No. 4. Pp. 78–92. (In Rus.)
7. Kelzen, G. Pure Doctrine of Law: Collection of translations [Chistoe uchenie o prave: Sb. perevodov]. M.: INION RAN, 1988. 213 p. (In Rus.)
8. Keshner, M. V. Economic sanctions in modern international law: monograph [Ekonomicheskie sankczii v sovremennom mezhdunarodnom prave: monografiya]. M.: Prospekt, 2014. 181 p. (In Rus.)
9. Lukashuk, I. I. The right of international responsibility [Pravo mezhdunarodnoj otvetstvennosti]. M.: Volters Kluver, 2004. 432 p. (In Rus.)
10. Menzhinsky, V. I. The problem of international responsibility (in the light of the Soviet concept of international law): author. dis. ... cand. legal sciences [Problema mezhdunarodnoj otvetstvennosti (v svete sovetskoj konczepczii mezhdunarodnogo prava): avtoref. dis. ... kand. yurid. nauk]. M., 1951. 16 p. (In Rus.)
11. Mingazov, L. H. Effi ciency of norms of international law. Theoretical problems: author. dis. … doc. legal Sciences [Effektivnost norm mezhdunarodnogo prava. Teoreticheskie problem: avtoref. dis. … dokt. yurid. nauk]. Kazan, 2000. 41 p. (In Rus.)
12. Nye, J. Soft power and American-European relations [Myagkaya sila i amerikano-evropeijskie otnosheniya]. Free thought [Svobodnaya mysl]. XXI, 2004. [Electronic resource]. URL: http://smartpowerjournal.ru/soft-power/ (date of access: 10.05.2023). (In Rus.)
13. Tunkin, G. I. Theory of international law [Teoriya mezhdunarodnogo prava]. Under total Ed.: L. N. Shestakova [Pod obshh. red.: Shestakova L. N.]. M., 2000. 416 p. (In Rus.)
14. Fukuyama, F. The End of History? [Konecz istorii?] Questions of Philosophy [Voprosy fi losofi i], 1990. No. 3. Pp. 84–118. (In Rus.)
15. Shakhnazarov, B. A. Sanction Law: Concept, Subject, Method, Normative Composition [Sankczionnoe pravo: ponyatie, predmet, metod, normativny sostav]. Actual Problems of Russian Law [Aktualnye problemy rossijskogo prava], 2022. No. 7. Pp. 143–149. (In Rus.)
16. Shumilov, V. M. International Economic Law [Mezhdunarodnoe e`konomicheskoe parvo] (Educational manual) [(Uchebno-metodicheskoe posobie)]. M.: DeKA, 1999. 400 p. (In Rus.)
17. Baldwin, D. A. Prologamena to Thinking about Economic Sanctions and Free Trade. Chicago Journal of International Law, 2003. Vol. 4. No. 2. Pp. 271–281.
18. Biersteker, T. Thinking about United Nations Targeted Sanctions / Biersteker T., Eckert S., Tourinho M. (eds.). Targeted Sanctions: The Impacts and Effectiveness of United Nations Action. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. 422 p.
19. Brzoska, M. International Sanctions Before and Beyond UN Sanctions. International Affairs, 2015. Vol. 91. No. 6. Pp. 1339–1349.
20. Doxey, M. Economic Sanctions and International Enforcement. N. Y.: Macmillan Press, 1980. 161 p.
21. Galtung, J. On the Effects of International Economic Sanctions. World Politics. 1967. Vol. 19. No. 3. Pp. 378–416.
22. Hufbauer, G., Schott, J., Elliott, K. [et al.]. Economic Sanctions Reconsidered. Washington D.C.: Peterson Institute for International Economics. 2009. 248 p.
23. Kunz, J. L. Sanctions in international law. The American journal of international law. 1960. Vol. 54. No. 2. Pp. 324–347.
24. McDougal, M. S., Feliciano, F. P. International Coercion and World Public Order. Yale Law Journal. 1958. Vol. 67. No. 5. Pp. 771–845.
25. Maxeiner, J. R. Some realism about legal certainty in globalization of the rule of law. Houston Journal of International Law, 2008. Vol. 31. No. 1. P. 27–46.
26. Pape, R. Why Economic Sanctions Do Not Work? International Security, 1997. Vol. 22. No. 2. Pp. 90–136.
27. Szabados, T. Economic Sanctions in EU Private International Law. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2019. 280 p.
28. Tladi, D. An Assessment of the Fundamental Principles of International Law. J. E. Vinuales (ed). The UN Friendly Relations Declaration at 50. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020. Pp. 87–104.
Review
For citations:
Rodionova E.S. Economic and Legal Nature of Sanctions: Degree of Their Legality and Efficiency In Terms of International Law. Theoretical and Applied Law. 2023;(4):24-34. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22394/2686-7834-2023-4-24-34
Views:
3555
Email this article 