ABSTRACT
The most common enforcement tool used by the Security Council is economic sanctions, which end normal economic relations to pressure a target to comply with international rules. They range from complete economic embargoes to commodity specific boycotts to “smart sanctions” against individual decision-makers in the target state. Sanctions raise issues of hierarchy and the appropriate way to implement collective security rules. Should the Council routinely authorize sanctions? Should sanctions be comprehensive or partial? Should they be imposed immediately or incrementally? Should they remain in place until the target state complies with all demands, or should partial compliance be rewarded with reduced sanctions?
