The Unintended Consequences of Unilateral Sanctions on Developing Nations: A Case Study of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Between 2002 and 2024, Zimbabwe faced unilateral sanctions following a series of events, prompting an examination of how such sanctions affect developing countries, as explored in this case study. The history, development, types, and role of sanctions within the United Nations are discussed to identify issues with these foreign policy tools and their effects on developing nations, which often conflict with the goals of the collective security system to which they belong. By nature, sanctions are designed to be harmful; what is problematic is the inconsistent, subjective, and unfair application of sanctions, especially when sender countries try to hide the effects of certain types of unilateral sanctions, such as targeted sanctions on the civilians and/or the economies of target states. Zimbabwe’s case is particularly significant because it enables a comparison between the impacts of multilateral and unilateral sanctions and highlights their unintended consequences on the innocent civilians of the target state.