Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 28
28
Accepted
Apply sanctions to individuals for clear IHL breaches, with sufficient resources and evidence.
Recommendation
The Government must use its power to sanction individuals in response to clear breaches of IHL, such as unlawful killings of aid workers and restrictions on humanitarian aid and assistance. To do this the Government 52 must make sure that the Sanctions Team is sufficiently resourced and that the evidence threshold is set appropriately. (Recommendation, Paragraph 59)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government agrees, stating it already uses its sanctions powers to encourage compliance with IHL, providing examples of recent sanctions. It also notes that the FCDO continues to assess resourcing requirements for the Sanctions Directorate and that the evidential threshold for designations is set appropriately.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
67. HMG is committed to continuing to invest in its sanctions policy and enforcement architecture. The FCDO’s Sanctions Directorate has more than doubled in size since early 2022, with over 140 permanent/loan staff. This number does not include those working across FCDO and its overseas network who cover sanctions as part of their wider roles. 68. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. We will consider targets, guided by the objectives of the relevant sanctions regime, the evidence and wider UK objectives. The UK government has a strong appetite to consider all sanctions options in response to the intolerable level of human suffering in conflicts across the globe. The Government has previously taken action and will continue to do so where the legal framework allows an appropriate response. 69. We also keep the scope of our sanctions regimes under review to ensure they adapt to changing threats and challenges, including amending legislation where necessary.
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