Sanctions Relief Initiative

The rapid increase in the use of sanctions has spurred detailed studies of their design and their punitive effects. Yet the question of how sanctions should be suspended or terminated has received far less systematic attention. This initiative advances research and advocacy related to sanctions relief in three areas: (1) partial relief from sanctions harms, such as humanitarian licenses, (2) immediate relief from sanctions pressure through their termination, and (3) relief from the long-term effects of sanctions through effective remediation.

Sanctions Relief Initiative
Sanctions Relief Won't Suffice for Syria’s Teetering Economy
Sanctions Relief Won't Suffice for Syria’s Teetering Economy

To rebuild Syria’s broken economy, Western policymakers must treat the moment of sanctions relief as an entry point, not an endpoint.

Initiative Partners

Articles

Featured
Prospects for Syrian Civil Society Remain Dim While Sanctions Linger
Prospects for Syrian Civil Society Remain Dim While Sanctions Linger

Without tangible sanctions relief, Syrian civil society organisations will struggle to play a meaningful role in the country’s constitutional reform, local governance, or transitional justice efforts.

Reconstruction Aid, Not Sanctions Relief, is What Syria Really Needs
Reconstruction Aid, Not Sanctions Relief, is What Syria Really Needs

The price tag of Syrian reconstruction will be high, but Western governments can afford it.

Sanctions, CBDCs, and the Role of ‘Decentral Banks’ in Bretton Woods III
Sanctions, CBDCs, and the Role of ‘Decentral Banks’ in Bretton Woods III

In a world with two parallel financial systems, a country would not necessarily have a single reserve bank.