Chapter 9
The Impact of UN Sanctions on Commercial
Shipping Activities
Richard L. Kilpatrick
Abstract To promote its mandate of maintaining international peace and security,
the United Nations Security Council has recently utilized a variety of economic
sanctions tactics in the maritime sector. Concerned with maritime practices aiding
the development of illicit weapons programmes, these sanctions strategies have
targeted shipping activities by blacklisting vessels and companies, prohibiting certain cargo import and export, authorizing vessel inspections and interdiction, and
outlawing vessel bunkering and marine insurance coverage. Although these measures are designed to promote multilateral policy goals, they also impose regulatory
burdens on shipping industry participants attempting to engage in legitimate trade.
This chapter explores the interplay between contemporary maritime sanctions techniques and commercial shipping practice. It first examines the sanctions tactics
employed at the United Nations Security Council to target maritime practices linked
to global security challenges. It then surveys efforts within commercial shipping
circles to comply with and adapt to these layers of evolving regulations.
1 Introduction
Multilateral economic sanctions are increasingly used to promote international peace
and security. This involves substantial coordination between international policymakers and private industry. While economic sanctions often focus on restrictions in
the banking and finance sectors of the global economy, the maritime shipping
industry is also critically impacted. As regulatory regimes evolve to respond to
geopolitical developments, the shipping industry must adapt to this changing commercial landscape. This adaptability to regulation is integral for shipping industry
participants to maintain legal compliance. The sanctions themselves also depend on
these commercial actors to generate the intended coercive force.
R. L. Kilpatrick (*)
College of Charleston, School of Business, Charleston, SC, USA
e-mail: rkilpatr@tulane.edu
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
M. C. Ribeiro et al. (eds.), Global Challenges and the Law of the Sea,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42671-2_9
159
The Impact of UN Sanctions on Commercial
Shipping Activities
Richard L. Kilpatrick
Abstract To promote its mandate of maintaining international peace and security,
the United Nations Security Council has recently utilized a variety of economic
sanctions tactics in the maritime sector. Concerned with maritime practices aiding
the development of illicit weapons programmes, these sanctions strategies have
targeted shipping activities by blacklisting vessels and companies, prohibiting certain cargo import and export, authorizing vessel inspections and interdiction, and
outlawing vessel bunkering and marine insurance coverage. Although these measures are designed to promote multilateral policy goals, they also impose regulatory
burdens on shipping industry participants attempting to engage in legitimate trade.
This chapter explores the interplay between contemporary maritime sanctions techniques and commercial shipping practice. It first examines the sanctions tactics
employed at the United Nations Security Council to target maritime practices linked
to global security challenges. It then surveys efforts within commercial shipping
circles to comply with and adapt to these layers of evolving regulations.
1 Introduction
Multilateral economic sanctions are increasingly used to promote international peace
and security. This involves substantial coordination between international policymakers and private industry. While economic sanctions often focus on restrictions in
the banking and finance sectors of the global economy, the maritime shipping
industry is also critically impacted. As regulatory regimes evolve to respond to
geopolitical developments, the shipping industry must adapt to this changing commercial landscape. This adaptability to regulation is integral for shipping industry
participants to maintain legal compliance. The sanctions themselves also depend on
these commercial actors to generate the intended coercive force.
R. L. Kilpatrick (*)
College of Charleston, School of Business, Charleston, SC, USA
e-mail: rkilpatr@tulane.edu
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
M. C. Ribeiro et al. (eds.), Global Challenges and the Law of the Sea,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42671-2_9
159