September 30, 2020

OFAC announces amendments to sanctions regulations related to the ICC, North Korea, and Iran

On September 30, 2020, the Department of the Treasury’s Office or Foreign Assets Control issued the International Criminal Court-Related Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 520, pursuant to authorities delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury in Executive Order 13928, “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Associated With the International Criminal Court” to address any attempt by the ICC to investigate, prosecute or detain any US personnel without US consent, or any personnel of a US ally who is not a party to the Rome Statute and has not otherwise consented to ICC jurisdiction.  According to the notice, OFAC intends to supplement part 520 with a more comprehensive set of regulations that may include additional interpretive and definitional guidance, general licenses and statements of licensing policy.  

OFAC also amended the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 544, to better implement EO 13382, established to block the property of proliferators of WMD and their supporters.  OFAC is amending Note 1, paragraph (a) of § 544.201 of the WMD Regulations, that currently permits a special identifier [NPWMD] to appear next to the names persons designated pursuant to EO 13382.  The new amendment permits additional information to appear next to names of persons designated under EO 13382, to include a descriptive prefix such as, “Secondary sanctions risk” followed by information about the applicable secondary sanctions authority, or descriptive prefix such as, “Transaction Prohibited for Persons Owned or Controlled by US Financial Institutions” followed by information about the applicable sanctions authority.

Finally, OFAC amended the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 560, general license at § 560.539 of the ITSR, adding the United Nations’ Specialized Agencies, Programmes, Funds, and Related Organizations, to the list of several international organizations that are authorized to conduct official business under the ITSR.

OFAC Press Release | OFAC ICC Amendment | OFAC Amendments related to North Korea and Iran