Finally: the Iran experts have arrived (updated)
A few months ago, I complained about how long it was taking for the United Nations to appoint the panel of experts tasked with monitoring U.N. sanctions against Iran. In June 2010, the Security Council authorized the expert group, modeled on similar mechanisms used for other U.N. sanctions regimes. Sometimes, these experts add little value ...
A few months ago, I complained about how long it was taking for the United Nations to appoint the panel of experts tasked with monitoring U.N. sanctions against Iran. In June 2010, the Security Council authorized the expert group, modeled on similar mechanisms used for other U.N. sanctions regimes. Sometimes, these experts add little value and become just another layer of multilateral bureaucracy. But in several cases, they have sharpened U.N. sanctions by investigating possible breaches, nudging states toward compliance with reporting requirements, and suggesting smart ways of improving implementation. The North Korea panel of experts seems to have been particularly helpful.
A few months ago, I complained about how long it was taking for the United Nations to appoint the panel of experts tasked with monitoring U.N. sanctions against Iran. In June 2010, the Security Council authorized the expert group, modeled on similar mechanisms used for other U.N. sanctions regimes. Sometimes, these experts add little value and become just another layer of multilateral bureaucracy. But in several cases, they have sharpened U.N. sanctions by investigating possible breaches, nudging states toward compliance with reporting requirements, and suggesting smart ways of improving implementation. The North Korea panel of experts seems to have been particularly helpful.
It took almost a full six months, but the Iran experts have finally been named and are beginning their work. It’s not yet clear how they’ll focus their efforts, but let’s at least hope they’re determined to make up for lost time.
Update: The information I have is that the expert group had meetings last month in Vienna (with the IAEA), Brussels, London, and Paris. Apparently, the experts are now in Japan for consultations. The group has an interim report due to the Security Council in early February but may also be on the road investigating recent sanctions violations, including a recent major arms interdiction in Nigeria.
David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist
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