Tailored Sanctions in International Law

Tailored sanctions involves a set of sanctions that are related to the manufactured goods or services and the origin of their production. The function of tailored sanctions is to prevent human rights abuses and to maintain those values, as supported by peremptory norms of general international law (jus cogens). These sanctions, for example, are imposed on importing the goods for the production of which child labor has been used. These sanctions also prohibit the importation of goods or services from an illegally occupied territory. States as well as the UN Security Council may impose tailored sanctions as (unilateral or collective) a countermeasure. The present study is an attempt to explore the foundations and legality under international law of tailored sanctions. The special character of these sanctions is their obligatory nature. In contrast with general sanctions, tailored sanctions are considered not only states’ right but also their obligation.