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International Relations & Diplomacy vocabulary · Sanctions & Economic Diplomacy

Targeted sanctions

Meaning in international relations & diplomacy, with examples

nounCommon term

In international relations & diplomacy, targeted sanctions means: Sanctions aimed at specific people, companies or sectors, such as officials or banks, instead of a whole country's economy, in order to limit harm to ordinary citizens.

In Turkish: hedefli yaptırımlar, akıllı yaptırımlar

How it is used

Also called 'smart sanctions'. They developed from the 1990s, when broad embargoes were criticised for their humanitarian impact. Usual tools are asset freezes, travel bans, arms embargoes and sectoral restrictions, and targets are placed on a 'sanctions list'.

Example sentences

  1. The council chose targeted sanctions against officials rather than a full trade ban.

  2. Targeted sanctions are meant to reduce the impact on ordinary people.

  3. Three more companies were added to the list of targeted sanctions.

Common collocations

  • impose targeted sanctions
  • smart sanctions
  • sanctions list
  • sectoral sanctions
  • sanctionsPenalties, such as trade restrictions or frozen assets, that one or more countries or international organisations impose on a state, group or person to change their behaviour.
  • asset freezeA measure that stops a person, company or government from using or moving the money and property they hold abroad or in a country's banks.
  • travel banAn official measure that prevents certain people from entering or passing through a country, often used as a sanction against named officials.
  • embargoAn official ban on trade, or on a particular kind of trade such as arms or oil, with a specific country, imposed by a state or international organisation.

More terms: Sanctions & Economic Diplomacy

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