Topic: 2026 – Implementation of Sanctions
Country: Somalia
Delegate Name: Nathan Schreibeis
The United Nations’ main purpose is to promote security and safety among all members. To be able to accomplish this goal effectively, the United Nations typically implements sanctions to address anything that is a “threat to the peace, breach of peace, or act of aggression” instead of using direct force. Since 1966, 32 sanction regimes have been established to address these acts. 15 sanction regimes still exist today, with all of the sanctions being placed on countries in Africa or the Middle East, the only exception being North Korea. Yet, these sanctions give varied results, with many sanctions hurting the country it was trying to protect or furthering the divide among members of the United Nations. These implementations can also be ineffective due to each member nation needing to implement the sanction in its own country. Due to these complications, a study from the United Nations finds that sanctions with a coercive aim work around 10 percent of the time, whereas sanctions with the goal of constraining and signaling are effective around 27 percent of the time when implemented. In the 1990s, after the United Nations implemented strict sanctions on Iraq, a humanitarian crisis ensued and ended with the terrorist organization that it targeted to gain $11 billion. These sanctions that have failed typically are economic sanctions or arms embargoes for African countries.
The Federal Republic of Somalia is one country currently affected by sanction regimes in order to combat the threat of the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab. The sanctions implemented in Somalia are against anyone who have commited a human rights violation, obstructed any humanitarian aid in Somalia, obstructed peace-keeping in Somalia, misappropriated state funds, illicit export of charcoal from Somalia, or committed acts that threaten the security of Somalia. Penalites of any who have committed these offenses can be charged with a fee of up to $1,000,00 or imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both. The sanctions that are focused on the most is related to the illicit exportation of charcoal from Somalia. This sanction is aimed at stopping the main source of revenue of Al-Shabbab, with over 40% of all funding of the group coming from this illegal trade. However, this sanction has done little to combat Al-Shabaab. In the year 2023 alone, over $20 million went to Al-Shabaab’s associated smugglers, traffickers, and leaders. Jamame Brothers Company, a Somalia-based company that has business ties to the UAE, Kenya, Djibouti, China, India, and Pakistan, transferred nearly $1.2 million to finance Al-Shabaab in 2022. However, the executives have seemingly not been prosecuted despite direct ties to this illicit operation. Due to a lack of direct enforcement in any of the countries, these sanctions often fail. The arms embargo previously placed on Somalia was recently lifted, due to Al-Shabaab smuggling weapons into the country, but without allowing any parts of the Somali Armed Forces to have weapons for self-defense. While there are monitoring teams in Somalia, they only report data without directly helping enforce the sanctions, causing many sanctions to not accomplish their goal.
The Federal Republic of Somalia strongly believes that sanctions should be implemented fully across all members of the United Nations. This way, there is a legal standing for all countries involved, which allows for strong prosecution when sanctions are not followed. There should be a prohibition of sanctions that impose arms embargos on the armed forces of countries that are actively involved with non-state terrorist groups or that have enacted Article 51. If sanctions are implemented against any country for reasons of fighting non-state actors, all members should have to provide funding for the state that is being affected by the sanction regime. The delegation of Somalia proposes that there should be an increase of managment groups in each member state with sanction regimes affecting them. Somalia also urges for a designated court overseen by the Security Council to effectively prosecute any groups that have violated sanctions.
Works Cited
ADF. “With Arms Embargo Lifted, Somalia Urged to Secure Ports, Protect Depots.” Africa Defense Forum, 23 Apr. 2024, adf-magazine.com/2024/04/with-arms-embargo-lifted-somalia-urged-to-secure-ports-protect-depots/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Gordon, Joy. “The Brutal Impact of Sanctions on the Global South – Yale Journal of International Law.” Yale.edu, 18 Apr. 2022, campuspress.yale.edu/yjil/the-brutal-impact-of-sanctions-on-the-global-south/.
OFAC. “Somalia Sanctions Program.” Department of the Treasury, 3 Oct. 2014.
“Security Council Committee pursuant to Resolution 2713 (2023) Concerning Al-Shabaab | Security Council.” Main.un.org, main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/sanctions/2713.
“The Charcoal Conundrum: Ending the Somali Illegal Charcoal Trade | Global Initiative.” Global Initiative, 11 Apr. 2025, globalinitiative.net/analysis/somalia-charcoal/.
“Treasury Designates Terror Operatives and Illicit Charcoal Smugglers in Somalia.” U.S. Department of the Treasury, 3 May 2024, home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1499.
“UN Documents for Somalia: Sanctions Committee Documents.” Securitycouncilreport.org, 2024, www.securitycouncilreport.org/un_documents_type/sanctions-committee-documents/?ctype=Somalia&cbtype=somalia.
United Nations. “Sanctions | Security Council.” Main.un.org, 2023, main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/sanctions/information.
