Abstract
Throughout the history of international relations, the economic weapon has long prevailed. Nowadays, not only do economic sanctions underline the position of economy in the concept of power, but they also render explicit the need to sanction disapproved policies. The practice of economic sanctions has greatly increased since the 1991 Seconde Gulf War. Since then, the legality of economic coercion, whether or not decided by the UN has never ceased to provoke debate. The question is still relevant, not only due to the frequency of use of this international relations tool, but more so on account of the confrontation of these practice with other fundamentals principles of international law particularly human rights.
Prof. Habilité Meryem Mehrez, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco.
This paper is the synthesis of the author’s thesis: Les sanctions économiques et les droits de l’homme. Université Cadi Ayyad Marrakesh, Morocco, 2006.
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Notes
- 1.
Foronda (1996), p. 181.
- 2.
Between 1990 and 2000, the Security Council imposed 15 sanctions campaigns but only 2 between 1945 and 1990.
- 3.
The Energy Crisis and International Law, Colloquium of SFDL Paris, Pedone 1976.
- 4.
Yearbook of the International Law Commission (ACDI) 1979, Vol. 2/Part 2, p. 134.
- 5.
The term ‘retaliation’ which was traditionally used to refer to unlawful measures, including measures using force, in response to a violation has been circumscribed measures taken in times of international armed conflict, to qualify reprisals between belligerents.
- 6.
Peacetime Reprisals 38 Yearbook of the International Law Institute (AIDI), 1934, Paris, p. 708.
- 7.
Yearbook of the International Law Commission (ACDI) 1979, Part 2, vol. II, p. I28.
- 8.
Yearbook of the International Law Institute (AIDI), Saint Jaques de Compostelle Session, Vol. 63 II. 1990, A, Pedone, Paris, p. 225.
- 9.
UN General Assembly, Resolution 56/83 of 12.12.2001.
- 10.
Art. 49–53.
- 11.
http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/francais/commentaires/9-6-2001-francais.pdf, p. 382, accessed 30.11.2022.
- 12.
ILC Session 48, May–July 1996, Chapter III, Part 2, Articles 47–53 Relating to Countermeasures.
- 13.
Art. 22: “The wrongfulness of an act of a State not in conformity with an international obligation towards another State is precluded if and to the extent that the act constitutes a countermeasure taken against the latter State in accordance with chapter II of Part Three”. Text adopted by the General Assembly 2001 (A/56/10).
- 14.
Art. 50 of the Draft 2001.
- 15.
The drafters of the charter did not specify the nature of the prohibited force while giving the principle an implicit and broad content that can be deduced from the text; or in any other way non-compliant with the goals of the United Nations.
- 16.
The Soviet Deflation Project of 1953 reproduced in the report of the Special Committee for AG.DO. session 9, sup. I l. Doc N2638 (1953).
- 17.
UNICO, vol. 6, p. 559.
- 18.
Carreau (1987), p. 462.
- 19.
ICJ Rep. 1971, p. 47.
- 20.
ICJ Rep. 1980, p. 28.
- 21.
Yearbook of the International Law Commission (ACDI) 1963, vol. II, p. 80.
- 22.
Yearbook of the International Law Commission (ACDI) 1966, p. 276 & seq.
- 23.
http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/francais/commentaires/9-6-2001-francais.pdf, accessed 30.11.2022.
- 24.
Art. 16 LoN. This article was applied only once against Italy after its invasion of Ethiopia in October 1935, it would remain without result since it was repealed after the conquest of Ethiopia in July 1936.
- 25.
Sorel (1995), pp. 3–57.
- 26.
Conforti (1992), pp. 52–53.
- 27.
Resolution 3314 (XXIX) of 14.12.1974.
- 28.
Dupuy (1982), p. 333 & seq.
- 29.
Ghali (1995) A/50/605/1995/1.3J1995 § 6.
- 30.
The Security Council had set the entry into force of its resolution supplementing the sanctions against Sudan 1070 to 90 days after 16.08.1996.
- 31.
Art. 24. para. 2 UN Charter.
- 32.
E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000133 dn 21 I 6/2000.
- 33.
- 34.
The American bombing of Libya 1986, the American and British operations in Iraq 1998 (Desert Fox) and the American occupation of Iraq 2003–2011 have only led to the indignation of the international company.
- 35.
Attenuated measures of some States against China following the events of 1989, the inaction against Israeli measures (with the exception of the relative reaction of the EEC) and the scale of the action against Iraq.
- 36.
ILI 1934, p. 710: “The State cannot divert the reprisals from the purpose which has determined its use”.
- 37.
In the American vision, the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq were aimed at overthrowing the Iraqi regime; not paying sufficient attention to the principle of the right of peoples to self-determination.
- 38.
Observation on the application of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and N 8: relationship between economic sanctions and respect for economic rights, social and cultural l2/12/l997. E/C 12/1997/8. For the case of Iraq. v. FIDH report N) 321, 12.2001; Grindel (1996), pp. 181–189.
- 39.
Hufbauer (1998).
- 40.
Report on the Human Rights Sanctions Against Iraq FIDH, No 321, December 2001.
- 41.
Sanctions Assessment Handbook, ONU 2004, & Tavernier.P. “Sanctions économiques et droits de l’Homme”, in: “Novel ordre mondial et droits de l’homme” CREDHO, PUBLISUD, 1993, p.23.
- 42.
The case of Iraq is an exception at this level as Res 687 establishes a guardianship regime under the title of sanctions.
- 43.
Niblock (2000), pp. 95–108.
- 44.
Hufbauer (PIIE) 1998
- 45.
Yearbook of the International Law Commission 1979, vol. II, part 2, p. 130.
- 46.
Sisilianos (1990), p. 268.
- 47.
Resolution of the 104th “Inter-Parliamentary Conference, Jakarta 20 110/2000” 3.b) first point.
- 48.
ILI 1934. P. 710, art 6. par 2.
- 49.
This is the case with the blockade imposed by South Africa against Lesotho, January 1986 and the sanctions imposed on Iraq between 1991 and 2003.
- 50.
Art. 60. para. 3 VCLT.
- 51.
Foronda (1996), pp. 98–103.
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Mehrez, M. (2023). The Challenged Legality of Economic Coercion. In: Donath, P.B., Heger, A., Malkmus, M., Bayrak, O. (eds) Der Schutz des Individuums durch das Recht. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-66978-5_5
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