SanctionsLookupUN Sanctions List Download (PDF, XML, HTML)
Download the official UN Security Council Consolidated List as PDF, XML or HTML. It covers all 1,007 individuals and entities subject to UN sanctions.
Last list change 5 days agofiles served by the official scsanctions.un.org
XML
Alphabetical, for automated imports
PDF + HTML
Alphabetical, open in a browser or print to PDF
What the UN consolidated sanctions list download contains
The UN Security Council Consolidated List is published by the Security Council. It puts every individual and every entity subject to Security Council measures on one list, so member states can implement them. One list does not mean one regime. Each sanctions committee keeps its own criteria and its own measures, and the consolidated file only gathers the names.
The current file has two sections:
- Individuals
- Entities and other groups
Narrative summaries of the reasons for listing, where the committee published one, stay on that committee's own site. They are not inside the download. The official consolidated list page is where those committee links and the current files are published.
Download formats: PDF, XML and HTML
The Security Council publishes the same list twice, once in alphabetical order and once by permanent reference number. Each order has an XML file and an HTML file. The PDF and HTML buttons on the official page use the same address. Opening it gives you the HTML. The page itself has a Print to PDF button.
- Alphabetical XML: names in Latin-script order, for a human scan of the file or for an import that does not care about reference numbers
- Alphabetical PDF + HTML: the same order, for reading or printing
- Reference-number XML: sorted by numbers such as QDi.001 and SDi.007. This is the file to parse if you are building a screening database
- Reference-number PDF + HTML: the same order, for reading
An XML record includes up to four name parts, the name in original script, title, designation, date and place of birth, good quality and low quality aliases, nationality, passport and national ID numbers, addresses, the date listed, and a comments field. Entities have a name, aliases, former names, addresses and the same listing date.
Empty fields are marked "na" in the HTML. The XML often leaves those tags blank instead. A good quality alias is a separate name the committee treats as strong enough to identify the person. A low quality alias is not.
How often the official download files are updated
There is no public calendar. A sanctions committee or the Security Council decides each listing, amendment and delisting, then issues a press release. The consolidated files are replaced after that. The Security Council records those changes on its list-updates page.
The HTML file's "Generated on" date is the day that copy was produced, not the day the list last changed. The XML root carries a dateGenerated timestamp for the same reason. Use the press release or the list-updates page when you need the date of the substantive change.
How to automate the UN sanctions list download
To screen against the list yourself, download the XML, watch for a new file, parse individuals and entities, and re-screen names after every change. The stable addresses are on scsanctions.un.org. They redirect to a short-lived file link, so store the stable address, not the redirected one.
The awkward parts are the ones that do not show up in a first parse. Aliases are marked good or low quality. Names arrive in up to four fields plus an original-script string. Document numbers sit in their own block, while an IMO or similar identifier can be buried in comments. A delisting removes the freeze at the UN, and the same party can still be on a national list.
Our UN sanctions screening API keeps the reference-number XML in sync and returns a match score with the list version and file hash used for that check. The same request can include OFAC, EU, UK and the other lists we cover.
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FAQ
Is the UN sanctions list free to download?
Yes. The XML, HTML and PDF files are free and need no registration.
Why do PDF and HTML share one button?
On the official page, the PDF and HTML buttons for a given sort order point at the same address. That address downloads an HTML file. The page includes a Print to PDF control, so you save a PDF from the HTML rather than from a separate PDF file.
What is the difference between the alphabetical file and the reference-number file?
They are the same list in two orders. The alphabetical files sort individuals and entities by name. The reference-number files sort them by permanent reference number, such as QDi.001 or SDi.007. Screening systems usually parse the reference-number XML, because that number stays with the record.
What does a permanent reference number mean?
The letters identify the sanctions committee and whether the record is an individual or an entity. QDi is an individual on the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida list. QDe is an entity on that list. KPi is a North Korea individual, TAi is a Taliban individual, and SDi is an individual on the Sudan list. The number after the dot is that committee's own sequence.
Does the file include vessels?
Not as their own type. The list has two sections only: individuals, and entities and other groups. A ship or an airline, when listed, appears as an entity. An IMO number, if the committee published one, sits in the comments rather than in its own field.
What is a good quality alias versus a low quality alias?
A good quality a.k.a. is strong enough, on the UN's own wording, for a positive identification. A low quality a.k.a. is probably not enough on its own. Treat a hit on a low quality alias as a lead, then compare date of birth, nationality and document numbers.
Why can the HTML page show today's date when the list did not change?
The HTML file says that Generated on is the date the file was produced for that download, not the date of the last listing, amendment or delisting. Substantive updates are announced in a committee press release and listed on the Security Council's list-updates page.
How do I screen names against the UN sanctions list?
Downloading the file is only the first step. Screening means matching names, aliases and identifiers against every record and keeping up with each update. Simple exact-match lookups miss spelling variations and produce false positives. UN sanctions screening API