Convened by the American Society of International Law — Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict

This webinar brings together scholars, practitioners, and humanitarian actors to examine the evolving relationship between sanctions regimes, counter-terrorism measures, and humanitarian action in contemporary armed conflicts. Over the past two decades, sanctions and counter-terrorism frameworks have become central tools of international peace and security governance, while humanitarian organizations have raised concerns about unintended consequences for civilian populations and humanitarian assistance.

The discussion focuses on the development of humanitarian exemptions across UN sanctions regimes, with particular attention to UN Security Council Resolution 2664 (2022), which introduced a standing humanitarian carve-out across most UN asset freeze sanctions regimes. Panelists will assess whether these exemptions adequately protect humanitarian space in practice or whether legal uncertainty, compliance risks, over-compliance, and discretionary decision-making continue to restrict humanitarian operations. The webinar aims to foster broader discussion on balancing collective security objectives and humanitarian imperatives in today’s international legal order.

Speakers:

• Dustin Lewis, Harvard Law School

• Cecilia Naddeo, United Nations – Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED)

• Austin Shangraw, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Moderator:

• Maria Rabino-Neira, Victoria University of Wellington / Harvard Law School