Sanctions against Iraq

Description of the sanctions

1. Arms embargo

The sale or supply, etc. of arms and related materiel to Iraq is prohibited. Exemptions may be made, e.g. for the needs of the Iraqi Government, but not with regard to biological and chemical weapons, or nuclear weapons.

2. Trade in cultural items

The trade in or the import and export, etc. of Iraqi cultural property and other items of archaeological, historical, cultural, rare scientific and religious importance illegally removed from Iraq is prohibited. This prohibition does not apply to cultural items removed from Iraq before 6 August 1990 or that are in the process of being returned to Iraqi institutions. A list of the cultural items included can be found below under 'Relevant documents'.

3. Freezing of certain assets

All funds and economic resources of the previous Government of Iraq or its state bodies, corporations or agencies identified by the Sanctions Committee established through UN Security Council Resolution 1518 (2003) (the Sanctions Committee) shall be frozen if they were outside Iraq on 22 May 2003. Moreover, all funds and economic resources outside Iraq that belong or belonged to Saddam Hussein or other senior officials in his regime and their immediate family members, including entities, etc. controlled by them shall be frozen. Nor may funds or economic resources be made available to persons or entities associated with Saddam Hussein. Previously, frozen funds – with some exceptions – were to be transferred to the Development Fund for Iraq managed by the Central Bank of Iraq under certain international control. Transfers of such funds are likely to have been completed and the Fund was wound up on 30 June 2011 in accordance with a decision by the UN Security Council. For this reason, any frozen funds are now to be transferred instead to an account or accounts linked to the Iraqi Government's Compensation Fund.

The persons and entities covered by the provisions on the freezing of assets are identified by the Sanctions Committee. The most recently applicable lists can be accessed via the link to the Sanctions Committee.

Competent Swedish authorities

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is the competent authority for various tasks under Council Regulation (EC) No 1210/2003.