Repeal of Eritrea Sanctions

Summary#

This final regulation (Registration SOR/2020-118) repeals the Regulations Implementing the United Nations Resolution on Eritrea. It removed Canada’s sanctions tied to Eritrea after the United Nations Security Council ended those measures in Resolution 2444 (2018). The repeal was registered on June 1, 2020 and published in the Canada Gazette on June 10, 2020.

What it does#

• Repeals the Regulations Implementing the United Nations Resolution on Eritrea (the rules that put the UN measures into Canadian law).
• Brings Canada into line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2444 (2018), which ended the UN measures against Eritrea on November 14, 2018.
• The change was made under the United Nations Act and took effect on the day the repeal was registered (June 1, 2020).

Who's affected#

• People and organizations that were previously subject to Canada’s sanctions on Eritrea — that is, anyone who had been listed or otherwise restricted under the repealed rules.
• Canadian businesses, banks, and charities that had limits on dealing with sanctioned Eritrean persons, property, or activities.
• Government departments that enforced the sanctions.
  If you want to know whether a specific person, company, or transaction was affected, the Gazette notice does not list those details.

Why it matters#

• It ends the Canadian legal restrictions that matched the UN measures. That can make some transactions, travel, financial services, or trade involving Eritrea or listed Eritreans possible again, subject to other laws and rules.
• It reflects Canada fulfilling its obligation to follow a binding decision of the United Nations Security Council.
• The notice itself does not explain how the change will play out in specific cases, so businesses and groups that worked under the old rules may want to check with their banks, lawyers, or regulators for details.