This page explains, in plain language, what the Tribunal means when it discusses sanctions, blockades, and coercive economic measures. It is a guide for readers who are new to the vocabulary or who want a stable reference while moving between hearings, transcripts, and printed materials on this site.

1. What counts as a coercive economic measure

In public debate the word “sanctions” often stands in for a wider set of tools: asset freezes, travel bans, export controls, withdrawal of correspondent banking access, secondary pressure on third parties, and long-running trade embargoes. Blockades and maritime interdiction can operate alongside those financial and trade restrictions. The Tribunal treats these policies as parts of a single coercive toolkit that reshapes prices, credit, shipping, medicine supply chains, and public budgets in targeted countries.

2. Unilateral U.S. measures and multilateral steps

United Nations Security Council measures bind member states through the UN Charter process and carry a distinct legal and political profile. Many U.S. programs run outside that frame, through Treasury designation lists, congressional mandates, or executive orders that reach banks and firms worldwide. Secondary measures pressure actors who are not nationals of the sanctioned state if they trade with designated entities. The Tribunal’s hearings focused on how such tools touch everyday life, not on repeating official claims about intent.

3. How testimony shaped this project

Country sessions brought together expert witnesses, organizers, and people directly affected by shortages, displacement, and interrupted services. Jurists and rapporteurs worked from that record rather than from diplomatic talking points. The point was not to simulate a national court, but to create a serious public record rooted in solidarity with impacted regions.

4. Where to read next

Use Hearing schedules for dates and Videos & transcripts for recordings. The printable Booklet summarizes the Tribunal’s framing. Groups considering submissions should read Submit evidence. For governance context open About, and for questions Contact. The home page lists recent updates and support options.