Topic: 2026 – Implementation of Sanctions
Country: Republic of Korea
Delegate Name: Esther Kim
Since the 1990s, the United Nations has seen a sharp increase in the use of sanctions. Currently applied to 14 nations, these sanctions seek to coerce, pressure, or signal to countries that threaten international peace. However, despite having good intentions, sanctions have also generated several administrative and humanitarian challenges for the international community. Reports have shown that sanctions often fail to achieve their policy goals, which, in part, is due to the lack of transparency when deciding and implementing sanctions. Perhaps more importantly, sanctions have also impeded humanitarian efforts, with peacekeeping missions allegedly undermined in regions such as South Sudan. In Syria and the DPRK, financial sanctions have caused the collapse of humanitarian banking channels, hindering their efforts. Ultimately, these regulations have led to a “chilling effect”, where humanitarian actors self-regulate beyond what is required, further diminishing prospects of external assistance.
Despite these issues, South Korea supports the implementation of sanctions and maintains the perspective that such complications stem from limited oversight and coordination. The fundamental purpose of sanctions lies in the idea of a multi-faceted solution to international disruptions. In other words, sanctions are not meant to fully resolve issues, but rather serve to complement other measures like diplomacy, negotiation, or peace operations.
Particularly, South Korea affirms that sanctions are necessary to curb nuclear proliferation attempts conducted by nations such as the DPRK. Ongoing nuclear development and missile testing in the DPRK have significantly threatened South Korea’s national security and civilian peace. In response to such threats, South Korea finds it crucial that sanctions continue to be implemented against such nations, to ensure that international peace can be protected.
South Korea firmly believes that such sanctions should be accompanied by active communication, namely through existing Panels of Experts that monitor the implementation of sanctions and provide necessary recommendations. However, in 2024, due to a veto by the Russian Federation, the Panel of Experts for the DPRK had been dissolved, limiting oversight and leaving South Korea vulnerable.
In response to such challenges, South Korea reminds nations that accountability and effective reporting mechanisms are crucial to the maintenance of effective sanctions. Specifically, South Korea calls for the restoration of a group of experts that discuss sanctions on the DPRK by establishing a monitoring body mandated by the UNGA to complement existing external bodies such as the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). This body, along with existing Panels of Experts, should biannually publish final reports that discuss the effectiveness of sanctions and their humanitarian impacts. This body should further provide recommendations for potential adjustments. This would serve to elicit stricter monitoring and reporting of the potential adverse effects on humanitarian aid and the development of more appropriate measures to combat them.
Moreover, fair representation should be considered when implementing and assessing sanctions. The selection of representatives in the Panels of Experts should undergo fair practices that take into account equitable geographic distribution.
Further, South Korea recommends providing guidance to sanctioned nations and humanitarian actors to better facilitate the provision of aid. When necessary, sanctioned nations can receive guidance to obtain necessary exemptions for citizens’ wellbeing. Humanitarian actors should also receive clearer guidance to better process financial transactions and gain clarity regarding relevant standards.
South Korea laments the suffering caused by the lack of oversight in implementing sanctions. However, it emphasizes the continuing global need for such measures and notes that by improving communication, sanctions can become more effective while minimizing adverse effects. South Korea calls upon member states to reaffirm their commitment to transparent sanctions that protect both international security and humanitarian principles.
