NEW YORK (19 October 2023) – Rapid expansion and enforcement of unilateral primary sanctions, secondary sanctions, as well as imposition of civil and criminal penalties for alleged violations...

Background and purpose Unilateral coercive measures and various types of unilateral sanctions have both direct and indirect impact on all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural...

GENEVA (19 September 2023) – Companies and States should ensure unimpeded flow of medicine and medical goods to countries under sanctions to save lives and minimise suffering,” the UN Special...

GENEVA (15 September 2023) – Unilateral sanctions and over-compliance have a detrimental impact on the enjoyment of all aspects of the right to health, a UN expert said today. “Health systems around...

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan, provides an overview of recent factual and legislative developments of overcompliance and criminal and civil penalties for circumvention of sanctions regimes; assesses the legality of some types of recent practice from the point of international law; and focuses on the humanitarian impact of secondary sanctions, as well as civil and criminal responsibility for circumvention of sanctions regimes and the consequent zero-risk policy and overcompliance, including on humanitarian work.

GENEVA (09 August 2023) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, Alena Douhan, announced today the launch of the Sanctions Research Platform...

The Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan, undertook an official country visit to the Syrian Arab Republic from 31 October to 10 November 2022 to examine the impact of unilateral sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights in the country and on the right to development.

GENEVA (09 March 2023) – The United States is using extraterritorial jurisdiction to impose sanctions on foreign individuals, UN Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan said today, raising concerns about...

GENEVA (14 February 2023) – UN experts* said today that thalassemia patients in Iran were being penalised by over compliance with United States sanctions against the country, which have reduced their...

GENEVA (23 November 2022) – While acknowledging efforts by sanctioning countries to provide for humanitarian carve-outs or exemptions in unilateral sanctions regimes, UN human rights experts have...