A quarter century ago, the United States had sanctioned fewer than 1000 companies, organizations, individuals, and vessels around the world. Today, that total is nearly 17,000. One reason why these measures are being used so expansively is the widespread perception that sanctions are “smart,” designed to be maximally effective while causing minimal humanitarian harm.

The notion of “smart sanctions” has a specific origin. The term dates back to the late 1990s, when a broad coalition of policymakers, academics, and advocates made an earnest effort to reform sanctions. In this episode, we discuss the decades-long campaign to make sanctions smarter and why these efforts have fallen short so far.

Alistair Millar is the President of the Fourth Freedom Forum, a private philanthropy that has pushed for sanctions reforms for nearly 35 years. The Fourth Freedom Forum is a donor to the Bologna Initiative for Sanctions Relief, the project behind this podcast. Alongside his role as a foundation president, Alistair is also an adjunct professor at The George Washington University, where he teaches about international security, violent extremism, and counterterrorism.

The Sanctions Age is hosted by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj and Josefine Petrick.

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