Ep. 20: To Lift or Not to Lift: Will Covid-19 Shake Up Sanctions?

PassBlue UN Podcasts

The coronavirus pandemic could change dynamics in the global political landscape that seemed unchangeable only last month. Will sanctions regimes be one of its victims? Many parties in the international community are debating whether to loosen sanctions in certain countries to help them fight the pandemic, but critics say that bad actors are using the pandemic as political opportunism to lift sanctions. On today's show, we welcome two experts: Hilal Elver, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food who is currently quarantined in the seaside Turkish town of Bodrum, and Loraine Rickard-Martin, a UN consultant specializing in international sanctions and a co-author of "The Evolution of UN Sanctions." Editor's note: we asked Ukrainian Permanent Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya on the show to discuss his letter to the UN secretary-general criticizing the Russian-led coalition at the UN calling for loosening sanctions. He did not follow up on many requests for comment. Links: PassBlue's live coverage of the Coronavirus pandemic at the UN: www.passblue.com/2020/03/15/the-u…s-rages-updates/ PassBlue's Twitter: @pass_blue Facebook: @PassBlueUN ----- Are you thinking of career working for the United Nations or its agencies around the World? Is it your dream to serve in your country’s foreign ministry, but you don’t know where to start? The Centre for United Nations Studies at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom is now offering a new, one-year masters degree program: in United Nations and Diplomatic Studies. Applications for Fall 2020 and January 2021 are now open. Graduates will gain a firm grounding in diplomacy, international and regional organizations, causes of conflict, and strategies for conflict resolution. They’ll also learn about global political communication, and have access to mentors with first hand experience in the UN system, such as program director Mark Seddon, a former speechwriter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, a former UN Deputy Secretary General. The University of Buckingham is located in a historic English town, close to London, and is a popular choice for students from across the globe. To find out more about the program, visit: https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/humanities/ma/united-nations-and-diplomatic-studies