US sanctions not likely to help win peace: Quincy Institute

NEW YORK - Economic sanctions -- an increasingly popular tool for policymakers in Washington -- can hinder peacemaking efforts, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft said, citing a report published on Tuesday by the International Crisis Group (ICG).

"A review of US sanctions policy, released by the Treasury Department in October 2021, showed that over the last two decades, the use of sanctions by Washington had increased by 933 percent," said the report, noting that the rationale for implementing these sanctions typically includes cutting off adversaries' resources, punishing individuals or governments for human rights abuses, or trying to push warring parties toward negotiations.

Yet, the ICG report finds that "sanctions sometimes hinder conflict resolution efforts. They can inhibit peace processes and post-conflict recovery, constrain peace organisations, undercut negotiations and entrench divisions between conflict parties."

"Criticism of Washington's use of sanctions is nothing new," it added. "While sanctions have found favour as a tool that allows the US government to pursue policy objectives in conflict settings without the blood and treasure required for military campaigns ... some of the downsides manifest themselves as impediments to peacemaking priorities, including Washington's own."