The Netherlands to host conference on sanctions compliance and enforcement
The Netherlands wants sanctions to be more practicable and effective, by ensuring better compliance and enforcement at both national and European level. By hosting a special conference for national and international stakeholders, Minister of Foreign Affairs Caspar Veldkamp wants to work towards enhanced compliance and enforcement, and a level playing field at EU and international level.
Conference on sanctions compliance and enforcement
On 15 January 2025 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hosting a conference on sanctions compliance and enforcement. This event will bring together policymakers, legal experts, financial institutions and representatives of the business sector to discuss how sanctions can be complied with and enforced effectively at national, European and international level.
Sanctions are an important instrument for holding countries, organisations and individuals responsible for their actions. For instance, the sanctions imposed on Russia are intended to make it as difficult as possible for the country to continue waging war against Ukraine, and to put pressure on Russia, or anyone else involved, to stop this aggression. However, whether the intended aims are achieved ultimately depends on effective compliance and enforcement. It is therefore important to continuously monitor whether sanctions are practicable and effective. This conference will provide a platform for exchanging information, sharing observations and learning from each other’s experiences. This in turn will help the Netherlands and other member states tackle new attempts at sanctions circumvention.
Programme
The conference will be opened by foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp, who will deliver a speech on the importance of enhanced compliance and enforcement. Other speakers include President Zelenskyy’s special adviser, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan, Finnish foreign minister Elina Valtonen and Latvian foreign minister Baiba Braže,
Exhibition
There will also be an exhibition at the conference venue showing objects used by Russia in its war that, despite the sanctions, contain Western components. The exhibition was created by NAKO, an anti-corruption research organisation from Ukraine.