The HLR (High Level Review of UN Sanctions), sponsored by the Governments of Australia, Finland, Germany, Greece, and Sweden, and organized by CCSI and the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs (Brown University) is a collective effort of many UN Member States, representatives of the Secretariat, UN agencies and organizations, as well as external stakeholders of the UN sanctions system. Former UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson inaugurated the HLR in May 2014.

In response to the High Level Review an Interagency Working Group (IAWG) was formed by over 20 UN agencies that discussed possible efforts to enhance their implementation of UN sanctions. The IAWG report's content was considered when the HLR-Compendium was drafted.