A/HRC/RES/40/3
Deeply disturbed by the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the right
to life, the rights to health and medical care, the right to freedom from hunger and the right
to an adequate standard of living, food, education, work and housing,
Alarmed by the disproportionate and indiscriminate human costs of unilateral
sanctions and their negative effects on the civilian population, in particular women and
children, of targeted States,
Reaffirming the Declaration on the Right to Development, adopted by the General
Assembly in its resolution 41/128 of 4 December 1986, which establishes that States have
the duty to cooperate with each other in ensuring development and eliminating obstacles to
development,
Reaffirming also that unilateral coercive measures are major obstacles to the
implementation of the Declaration on the Right to Development,
Concerned that unilateral coercive measures have prevented humanitarian
organizations from making financial transfers to States where they work,
Underlining that, in each situation worldwide, unilateral coercive measures have a
negative impact on human rights,
Underlining also the necessity of examining the wide range of impact of unilateral
coercive measures on international humanitarian and human rights law, and on the
economy, peace, security and social fabric of States,
Highlighting the need for the Human Rights Council to take fully into account the
negative impact of unilateral coercive measures, including that caused by the enactment and
extraterritorial application of national laws and decisions that are not in conformity with the
Charter of the United Nations and international law, in its task concerning the
implementation of all human rights, including the right to development,
Highlighting also the need to monitor and report human rights violations associated
with unilateral coercive measures, to promote accountability to deter future violations and
to provide redress for victims,
Welcoming the continuing efforts of the open-ended Working Group on the Right to
Development, and reaffirming in particular its criteria and relevant subcriteria, according to
which unilateral coercive measures are one of the obstacles to the implementation of the
Declaration on the Right to Development,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1, on the institution-building of the
Council, and 5/2, on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the
Council, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his duties in
accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,
Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, according to which, inter
alia, in no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence and its
fundamental rights,
1.
Urges all States to stop adopting, maintaining or implementing unilateral
coercive measures not in accordance with international law, international humanitarian law,
the Charter of the United Nations and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations
among States, in particular those of a coercive nature with extraterritorial effects, which
create obstacles to trade relations among States, thus impeding the full realization of the
rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human
rights instruments, in particular the right of individuals and peoples to development;
2.
Strongly urges all States to refrain from imposing unilateral coercive
measures, also urges the removal of such measures, as they are contrary to the Charter and
norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States at all levels, and recalls
that such measures prevent the full realization of economic and social development of
nations while also affecting the full realization of human rights;
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