They work best, he says, when combined with economic incentives that reward changed behavior. Not everyone is a fan of the strategy. The international aid community is especially ambivalent because sanctions can cause disastrous suffering. Lopez acknowledges the danger and says they must be closely monitored and distress relieved at the first sign of disaster. Proponents contend such measures place the most pressure on the ruling elite while sparing the general population.
Critics argue that smart sanctions personalize diplomacy in a detrimental way.
Smart sanctions proved to be the real wake-up call to the Cedras regime in Haiti and also had tremendous impact on Iraq. Another hopeful trend is the growing consensus on international norms. The globalization of the world's economy with its transnational companies, worldwide web, interconnections and interdependence has spawned a greater sense of world unity. The establishment of the special war crimes tribunals on Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia offers a prime example of that yearning for accountability and enforcement. If leaders knew without doubt that the world community held all people personally accountable for refusing to plan or carry out atrocities, they would think twice before engaging in such misdeeds.