International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally. There are several types of sanctions. * Diplomatic sanctions – the reduction or removal of diplomatic ties, such as embassies. * Economic sanctions – typically a ban on trade, possibly limited to certain sectors such as armaments, or with certain exceptions (such as food and medicine) * Military sanctions – military intervention * Sport sanctions – preventing one country's people and teams from competing in international events. * Environmental sanctions – since the declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, international environmental protection efforts have been increased gradually.