New York, NY, December 8, 2022 — Amanda Catanzano, Acting Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at the International Rescue Committee, said, “The Security Council should come together to urgently pass a resolution put forward by the US and Ireland on a global humanitarian sanctions exemption. For nearly a decade, international aid organizations like the IRC have been calling for such an initiative, which would be instrumental in minimizing the legal, administrative, and practical impediments that UN sanctions regimes create for critical aid delivery and services. With needs at record levels globally, it is critical all efforts are made to remove obstacles to reaching communities with assistance.
“The shift in power in Afghanistan last year underscored the urgent, overdue need for this kind of clarity during an emergency. As the economy collapsed and humanitarian needs soared, aid agencies like IRC were compelled to navigate different complex sanctions regimes and financial institutions refused to engage in transactions in the country for fear of running afoul of sanctions on the Taliban. While vital exemptions were later passed in the UN Security Council and by the US government, the international community should learn the lesson from that crisis and adopt global exemptions now to prevent confusion or a chilling effect during the early days of the next crisis. No matter the context or country, states should be able to agree that life saving humanitarian responses should be allowed to take place.
“For wider impact, it is essential that States then translate this blanket exception into their own domestic sanctions regimes. For instance, the US could adopt a comprehensive global General License now, moving forward proactively to provide humanitarian exemptions for future sanctions rather than responding after the fact to each crisis with a different license. Last year, the initial US license related to Afghanistan omitted education activities. While this was later rectified, if a comprehensive global general license had already been in place, it could have avoided delays and uncertainty in the early months. This would help humanitarians respond quickly and at scale when new emergencies happen. Time is of the essence during a crisis. Every day without clarity jeopardizes lifesaving responses."
“We cannot predict the crises of tomorrow, but we can act now to create universal clarity so no matter where the next crisis emerges, no matter what sanctioned group takes power, humanitarians have the guidance needed to scale up and deliver lifesaving services. We must act now to reduce risk and uncertainty where we can. All people in need deserve access to aid, regardless of who controls the territory in which they live.”
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