Penalties imposed by one state or a group of states on another to change its behavior are sanctions. They may target trade, finance, travel, or access to international institutions.

Sanctions aim to raise the cost of objectionable policies—aggression, nuclear proliferation, human-rights abuses—without immediate resort to force. Their effectiveness depends on multilateral participation, the target’s economic resilience, and the availability of alternative partners. Humanitarian exemptions attempt to limit harm to civilians, with mixed results.

Sanctions can signal resolve, satisfy domestic demands for action, and coordinate international responses. They can also entrench target regimes, create black markets, and impose costs on the senders’ own industries. Design and periodic review determine whether sanctions remain a calibrated tool or become an indefinite and blunt instrument.

• Penalty imposed to change another state’s behavior
• Targets trade, finance, or other relations
• Most effective when widely coordinated
• Carries risks of civilian harm and evasion