Sanctions can be an effective tool but the way that they're being utilized today is really undermining the influence of us on many fronts.
Elizabeth Shackelford, Senior Policy Director at The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding “

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Elizabeth Shackelford on Sanctions Panel at Oslo Freedom Forum

Elizabeth Shackelford, Senior Policy Director at The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, was a panelist at the recent Oslo Freedom Forum, organized by Open to Debate in collaboration with the Human Rights Foundation (HRF).

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As authoritarian regimes expand their reach, democratic governments often turn to economic sanctions as a response. But are sanctions effective in deterring repression and changing regime behavior — or do they risk harming civilians while entrenching dictators.

To explore whether sanctions are effective policy tools, Shackelford joined Dr. Chris Sabatini, Senior research fellow for Latin America, United States and the Americas Programme, Chatham House; Artie McConnell, Partner, BakerHostetler LLP and former US federal prosecutor; and Leopoldo López, Venezuelan Opposition Leader. 

While there was consensus that targeted sanctions against individuals can be effective and that sanctions should be part of a broader, well-defined strategic policy, the central disagreement revolved around the utility and ethical implications of widespread economic sanctions and whether their current application serves as a deterrent or undermines the West's long-term influence.

"Sanctions can be an effective tool but the way that they're being utilized today is really undermining the influence of us on many fronts," said Shackleford, arguing that broad economic sanctions are often ineffective, fail to produce regime change, harm civilian populations, and can be counterproductive by encouraging targeted nations to form alliances against Western economic influence.

Watch the debate here. 

The Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) is an international human rights conference series hosted and produced by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF). Bringing together the world's most engaging human rights advocates, journalists, artists, tech entrepreneurs, and world leaders, the aim is to share their stories and brainstorm ways to expand freedom and unleash human potential across the globe.