Question Period Note: Canada's Sanctions Regime

Autonomous sanctions are an important complement to Canada's policy tools for maintaining and restoring international peace and security and promoting respect for human rights

• Sanctions complement Canada's comprehensive suite of foreign policy tools, which includes engagement, dialogue, and capacity building.

• Canada is judicious when it chooses to deploy sanctions and is committed to their effective and coordinated use, when appropriate.

• Canada remains committed to playing a leadership role in the preservation and strengthening of an international rules-based order - sanctions are a component of this approach.

• The Government is continuing to review Canada's sanctions regime with a view to facilitating transparency and greater awareness among stakeholders.

JVCFOA allows Canada to target foreign nationals responsible for or complicit in gross violations of internationally-recognized human rights or acts of significant corruption. There are 70 individuals listed under the JVCFOA, including nationals from Venezuela, South Sudan, Myanmar, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. Canadians are prohibited from dealing with listed individuals, effectively freezing their Canadian assets, and these individuals are inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
SEMA allows Canada to impose sanctions, through regulations, against a foreign state, and individuals and entities related to that foreign state. Canada may impose sanctions under SEMA, either, when there has been a grave breach of international peace and security resulting in a serious international crisis, when an international organization calls on its members to impose sanctions, in cases of gross and systematic violations of human rights, or in cases of significant corruption.
SEMA sanctions may include a dealings ban for a list of targeted individuals and/or entities, restrictions on trade, financial transactions or other economic activity. Canada uses humanitarian exemptions to mitigate unintended consequences and potentially adverse effects on vulnerable groups, such as women and girls. To maximize sanctions effectiveness, Canada seeks to coordinate sanctions with other countries (e.g., U.S, EU). There are SEMA sanctions on 11 countries: Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, DPRK, Russia, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.
When the UN Security Council determines an act of aggression or threat to or breach of the peace has occurred, it may decide what measures member states shall take to restore or maintain international peace and security. Canada enacts regulations under the United Nations Act to implement these decisions. There are 13 countries subject to UN sanctions.
Budget 2018 announced $19.5 million to strengthen Canada's sanctions regime. Global Affairs Canada is moving forward with implementation by establishing a division for policy development, coordination, regulatory work, and engagement with stakeholders.

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