Implementation of UN sanction measures: Prospects and lessons learned

Date: 2013-05-15

Venue: LomÃƒÂ© , Togo

In collaboration with the United Nations Panel of Experts on Iran, established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1929 (the Panel), the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), with the financial support of the Royal Norwegian Government, convened a workshop in Lomé, Togo on 15–16 May to discuss the challenges of implementing UN sanctions and share lessons learned and best practices for compliance. The Republic of Togo, as the President of the Security Council for the month of May and Vice Chair of the 1737 Committee, provided strong organisational support to the holding of this workshop. The UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) offered administrative and technical support.

The Lomé workshop convened 26 government officials, non-governmental specialists and representatives from the UN, including experts from the Panel. Countries and international organisations represented included Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Liberia, Niger, Senegal, CEPA, ECOWAS, FEWACCI and GIABA.

The first day was devoted to raising awareness of UN sanctions and included a detailed introduction to the major aspects of the four Security Council resolutions concerning the Islamic Republic of Iran. A second half-day focused on explaining the obligations of UN member states to implement the resolutions and encouraged timely reporting, especially about sanction violations. A simulation exercise was offered to the participants to guide them on how to draft national implementation reports on measures taken by national governments to implement sanctions. Useful lessons learned from this workshop include the need to build stronger national capacity in sanctions implementation, willingness to share information among interested states, and forging partnerships between the public and private sectors.

Many participants expressed a desire to maintain contact with the Panel, UNREC and the ISS.