Targeted sanctions have seemingly become the policy instrument of choice when it comes to responding to contemporary global security challenges. Whether it is resolving armed conflicts, countering terrorism, reducing nuclear proliferation, or supporting political transitions and post-conflict peace-building, the UN, the EU, the AU, and the US (among other actors globally) apply targeted sanctions measures. Targeted sanctions are more complex and difficult to implement than comprehensive trade embargoes, and their impacts and effectiveness are often poorly understood in the policy world, the scholarly community, and among the general public. This presentation will draw on recently published research on UN targeted sanctions conducted by a consortium of scholars and practitioners around the globe (Targeted Sanctions: the Impacts and Effectiveness of UN Action, Cambridge University Press 2016) to address not just whether they work, but more importantly, how they work.