Sanctions on Iraq and Iran - Policy recommendations (Thesis Sample)

Sanctions on Iraq and Iran: Policy Recommendations
Name
Institution
Introduction
Economic sanctions in Iraq have negatively influenced scores of innocent citizens by limiting the availability of food and medicines and disrupting the whole economy, impoverishing Iraqi citizens while depriving them of their need for income. As well as reducing the national water treatment capacity, electrical systems and other infrastructure critical to life and health (Alnasrawi, 2002). The extent of death hardship and suffering may have been greater than during the armed hostilities (Conlon, 2000).
Some UN and other agencies have called on the Security Council to modify the sanctions deeply. Several Secretary Generals have emerged with questions that pointed towards this direction. Two most respected UN humanitarian coordinators have resigned in protest, arguing for a stop to the punitive sanctions (Gordon, 2010). Journalists, religious leaders, NGOs, diplomats, health authorities, human rights organizations, parliamentarians and citizens have joined in a compelling call for change.
Policy Recommendations
Foreign assets of Iraq must be unfrozen to normalize its external economic relations apparently, though; such change will not lack risks. The government of Iraq cannot be counted on to make benign and peaceful policy choices, or to promote the well-being of its people automatically. In this context; Robust arms monitoring must be reintroduced, to ensure full disarmament and to guarantee no future production programs for mass destruction weapons, and disarmament in Iraq should be complemented by disarmament with regional approaches, especially elimination of mass destruction weapons and weapons programs in the surrounding states. The Government of Iraq must offer firm assurances to the international community, as a part of reciprocal undertakings.
A new policy that will honor minority rights; including offering special status to the Kurdish areas, and it will take steps to honor its human rights obligations If the government of Iraq fails to provide adequate means for inspection and arms control, in future. Then: Narrowly-targeted sanctions, including travel and financial penalties, should be directed at Iraq's leaders. Explicit criteria for lifting must also be part of the new sanctions regime
Regular humanitarian assessments must also be part of the new sanctions as well so that the Council will be aware of their possible effect on the broader Iraqi citizenship. If Iraq is to go back to normalcy, and if it is to be asked to agree to international accords, it must be free of constant threats, military pressure and intimidation, force build-ups. The decision of the Security Council, not unilateral action by one or more powerful states, must prevail. In this framework:
"No-Fly zones" must be removed and aerial attacks and threats halted, and Unilateral military assaults, as a means towards "regime change," should pronounce as illegal and unacceptable.
Other efforts directed towards "regime change," including military aid to opposition forces, assassination campaigns and covert destabilization must cease. Security Council members must find the wisdom and courage to move on, to reflect the Council's compelling accountability to the overwhelming majority of world opinion and its responsibility. For this reason, the Security Council should look for a broad range of agreement with the government of Iraq that finishes comprehensive sanctions and threats of violence on the one hand while introducing, on the contrary, a program for securing Iraq's political renewal and its peaceful reintegration into the world community (Gordon, 2010).
In addition, other laws have also come up ready to be reinforced. They state that; Comprehensive economic sanctions must be lifted, The UN "escrow account" must be eliminated, Free trade (excepting military goods) must be re-established, foreign investments in Iraq must be permitted, and foreign assets of Iraq must be unfrozen to normalize its external economic relations (Tonstad, 2007).
Changed policies
The elimination of all arms of mass destruction and objectives of disarmament, more military weaponry, are targeted worthy of support. The fact that the U.S. has positioned itself as leading the campaign to rid Iraq of these weapons ought not to blind others to the fact that the U.S. possesses these same weapons and that its powerful military and naval industry.
The escrow account; Maintaining of the UN escrow account that all oil revenues must be deposited has been an essential tool to contain and control the economy of Iraq. Regardless of the method in place to have imports approved for import by Iraq, the representatives on the sanctions committee can block any purchase by Iraq at any time. The retention of the escrow account shows delays and bureaucratic red tape that will hamper the functioning of the economy, therefore should be terminated.
New restrictions on arms sales to Iraq must be formulated about regional plans for disarmament and security for the Middle East as a whole moment's human rights abuses. This does not imply that a lifting of these sanctions will be a panacea for human security and peace for the troubled country. International pressure must be reduced in the Iraqi government to comply with international human rights agreements. However, this pressure should not be led by the U.S. nor the Security Council.
The Council discontinued the Development Fund for Iraq, which channeled export income towards development priorities, in recognition of progress towards the establishment of successor arrangements. Wi...