The [[SWIFT]] network is a [[Brussels]]-based global clearing office for communications between 12,000 [[bank]]s worldwide in which they advise one another about incoming transfers.{{fact}} It is an essential building block in international trade, and was abused by the United States, who pressured the independent managers of SWIFT to conform to [[economic sanctions]] imposed on certain countries not abiding by the so-called "[[rules based order]]" dictated by the [[U.S. State Department]] from [[Washington, D.C.]].{{fact}} The "rules based order", also known as the [[Liberal world order]], by-passes the historically recognized framework of the [[United Nations]] under [[international law]] as having sole authority to impose [[multilateral]] economic sanctions.<ref>[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/leiden-journal-of-international-law/article/choice-before-us-international-law-or-a-rulesbased-international-order/7BEDE2312FDF9D6225E16988FD18BAF0 Dugard J. The choice before us: International law or a ‘rules-based international order’?] Leiden Journal of International Law. 2023;36(2):223-232. doi:10.1017/S0922156523000043</ref> | The [[SWIFT]] network is a [[Brussels]]-based global clearing office for communications between 12,000 [[bank]]s worldwide in which they advise one another about incoming transfers.{{fact}} It is an essential building block in international trade, and was abused by the United States, who pressured the independent managers of SWIFT to conform to [[economic sanctions]] imposed on certain countries not abiding by the so-called "[[rules based order]]" dictated by the [[U.S. State Department]] from [[Washington, D.C.]].{{fact}} The "rules based order", also known as the [[Liberal world order]], by-passes the historically recognized framework of the [[United Nations]] under [[international law]] as having sole authority to impose [[multilateral]] economic sanctions.<ref>[https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/leiden-journal-of-international-law/article/choice-before-us-international-law-or-a-rulesbased-international-order/7BEDE2312FDF9D6225E16988FD18BAF0 Dugard J. The choice before us: International law or a ‘rules-based international order’?] Leiden Journal of International Law. 2023;36(2):223-232. doi:10.1017/S0922156523000043</ref> |