Syria: UN rights expert to assess impact of unilateral coercive measures

GENEVA (27 October 2022) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan, will visit the Syrian Arab Republic from 30 October to 10 November 2022.

“I am looking forward to engaging with the Government and non-governmental stakeholders in a spirit of dialogue, cooperation and impartiality, with the view to gather first-hand information on the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the full realization of all human rights in the country,” Douhan said.

This is the second visit by the mandate to the country, following the 2018 visit by the previous Special Rapporteur, the late Idriss Jazairy. Douhan will pay particular attention to issues such as secondary sanctions, sanctions over-compliance and the sanctions-induced obstacles to the realisation of the sustainable development goals and the right to development. In addition, she will identify good practices, as well as mitigating and coping initiatives and policies.

Douhan plans to meet senior government officials, members of parliament and of the judiciary, representatives of international organisations, the diplomatic community, as well as civil society organisations, health experts, financial institutions, humanitarian actors, business community, and the academia.

On 10 November afternoon, Douhan will hold a press conference to share her preliminary observations. Access will be strictly limited to journalists. Details will be shared with the media closer to the date.

The Special Rapporteur will present her final report on the visit to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2023.

ENDS

Ms Alena Douhan (Belarus) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights by the Human Rights Council in March 2020. Ms. Douhan has extensive experience in the fields of international law and human rights as, a Professor of international law at the Belarusian State University (Minsk), a visiting Professor at the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed conflict, (Bochum, Germany) and the Director of the Peace Research Centre (Minsk). She received her PhD at the Belarusian State University in 2005 and obtained Dr. hab. in International Law and European Law in 2015 (Belarus). Ms. Douhan’s academic and research interests are in the fields of international law, sanctions and human rights law, international security law, law of international organizations, international dispute settlement, and international environmental law.

Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.