UN expert calls for systematic monitoring and assessment of adverse human rights impact of unilateral coercive measures

GENEVA – The growing use of and overcompliance with unilateral coercive measures call for development of ways to monitor and assess their adverse human rights and humanitarian impact, an independent expert said today.

“Clear information and precise data and statistics are of crucial importance to identify the humanitarian impact of unilateral coercive measures, further raise awareness about their destructive nature, as well as to enable States and other actors to respond to such measures, including through advocacy, actions and policies,” said Alena Douhan, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights.

In her thematic report to the UN Human Rights Council, Douhan described her mandate’s work for the development of an online Monitoring and Impact Assessment Tool, accessible to all actors working on sanctions-related matters, governmental and non-governmental. It is a first step towards the development of an inclusive, comprehensive, systematic, transparent and evidence-based check of unilateral coercive measures and overcompliance.

“Currently, national efforts to monitor and assess the negative impact of unilateral sanctions are mostly limited to the collection of statistical data with mainly economic rather than humanitarian assessment. In addition, sanctions-related databases are mostly limited in scope and often developed with limited participation by relevant stakeholders,” the Special Rapporteur said.

“Information already submitted to the Monitoring and Impact Assessment Tool showcases the significant adverse humanitarian impact of unilateral coercive measures, means of their enforcement and over-compliance and their disproportionate effects on the most vulnerable, including but not limited to children, women, persons with disabilities, migrants and refugees, people suffering rare diseases, and those living in poverty.”

The expert called on sanctioning states to monitor and assess the possible humanitarian impact of their unilateral sanctions, in accordance with humanitarian and international human rights law obligations. She recommended the same to the United Nations, its agencies, entities, programmes, and UN country teams.

Finally, she recommended that States affected by unilateral sanctions take appropriate steps towards establishing national mechanisms for comprehensive and systematic monitoring and impact assessment.