A/HRC/RES/45/5
Underlining that under no circumstances should people be deprived of their basic
means of survival,
Recognizing that unilateral coercive measures may result in social problems and raise
humanitarian concerns in the States targeted,
Highlighting the deep-rooted problems and grievances within the international system
and the importance for the United Nations to give a voice to all members of the international
community in order to ensure multilateralism, mutual respect and the peaceful settlement of
disputes,
Expressing its grave concern that laws and regulations imposing unilateral coercive
measures have, in some instances, an extraterritorial effect not only on targeted countries but
also on third countries, in contravention of the basic principles of international law, in a
manner that will coerce the latter also to apply the unilateral coercive measures,
Welcoming the final document and declaration adopted at the eighteenth Summit of
Heads of State and Government of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, held in Baku
on 25 and 26 October 2019, in which the Movement reaffirmed, among other things, its
principled position of condemnation of the promulgation and application of unilateral
coercive measures against countries of the Movement, which are in violation of the Charter
and international law and undermine, among other things, the principles of sovereignty,
territorial integrity, political independence, self-determination and non-interference,
Deeply concerned that, despite the resolutions adopted on this issue by the General
Assembly, the Human Rights Council, the Commission on Human Rights and at United
Nations conferences held in the 1990s and at their five-year reviews, and contrary to norms
of international law and the Charter, unilateral coercive measures continue to be promulgated,
implemented and enforced by, inter alia, resorting to war and militarism, with all their
negative implications for the social-humanitarian activities and economic and social
development of developing countries, including their extraterritorial effects, thereby creating
additional obstacles to the full enjoyment of all human rights by peoples and individuals
under the jurisdiction of other States,
Reaffirming that each State has full sovereignty over the totality of its wealth, natural
resources and economic activity, exercising it freely, in accordance with General Assembly
resolution 1803 (XVII) of 14 December 1962,
Recalling that the World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna from 14 to 25
June 1993, called upon States to refrain from any unilateral measure not in accordance with
international law and the Charter and that created obstacles to trade relations among States
and impeded the full realization of all human rights, and that also severely threatened the
freedom of trade,
Recalling also article 1, paragraph 2, common to the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
which provides, inter alia, that in no case may a people be deprived of its own means of
subsistence, including but not limited to food and medicines,
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, the right to an
adequate standard of living, food, education, work and housing and the right to development,
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 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,
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