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WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen released the following statement following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2664, which establishes a humanitarian carveout across UN sanctions regimes:

“I welcome the United Nations Security Council’s adoption of a groundbreaking Resolution to implement a standardized humanitarian carveout across UN sanctions regimes. This Resolution further enables the flow of legitimate humanitarian assistance supporting the basic human needs of vulnerable populations while continuing to deny resources to malicious actors. 

Sanctions are an essential tool to combat key threats across the globe, including money laundering and terrorist financing. At the same time, Treasury recognizes the potential for unintended consequences, which is why Treasury’s 2021 Sanctions Review strongly recommended implementing or otherwise streamlining humanitarian authorizations across sanctions programs, noting that the United States must lead global efforts to systematically address the challenges associated with conducting humanitarian activities. I am very proud of our efforts jointly with Ireland, our co-lead on this initiative at the United Nations, to bring this Resolution to reality, which will further strengthen the use of financial sanctions as an effective policy tool.

The provision of legitimate humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations reflects core American values. Treasury will continue to work with humanitarian organizations and their service providers as we build upon today’s Resolution to support their critical life-saving work.”