Rising use of unilateral sanctions raises humanitarian concerns: UN expert (published on September 15, 2025, UN / Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights)

GENEVA – The increasing use and enforcement of unilateral sanctions, as well as widespread over-compliance are eroding economic, labour and social rights and slowing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, a UN expert said today.

“We are observing a growing use of unilateral sanctions and means of enforcement by States, as well as over-compliance by private actors, despite multiple reports on their negative humanitarian impact. Sanctions have cumulative effects and have wider implications, including for third States and sanctioning States themselves,” said Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council.

In her report, Douhan stressed that sanctions undermine a wide range of rights, including the right to property which is undermined by comprehensive, sectoral and targeted measures, such as asset freezes, especially when they are accompanied by confiscation. She noted that the right to work is also affected, resulting in increased unemployment, wage reductions, deteriorating working conditions and informalisation, as well as a negative impact on small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs. Other rights are also disrupted, including health, food, education, water and sanitation, and an adequate standard of living. Vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected.

The expert underlined a global shared responsibility for violation of economic, social and cultural rights. She called on sanctioning States and regional organisations to review all unilateral sanctions, and lift those imposed without or beyond the authorisation of the Security Council and not meeting the conditions of retorsions or countermeasures. “I urge all States not to impede the implementation of humanitarian resolutions of the Security Council, including through blocking payments, insurance or delivery of humanitarian cargo,” she said.

The Special Rapporteur urged all States to tackle over-compliance, to ensure protection of critical infrastructure and follow the Guiding Principles on Sanctions, Business and Human Rights.

Douhan acknowledged the primary responsibility of sanctioned States to use maximum available resources to mitigate the impact of sanctions and fulfil economic, social and cultural rights but underlined that “such recourses become dramatically insufficient due to unilateral sanctions, enforcement and over-compliance”.

The expert urged international organisations to avoid legitimising unilateral sanctions, and called on UN entities, including WHO, ILO, FAO, UNDP and UNESCO to monitor and report on their impact, using the Monitoring and Impact Assessment Tool. “ILO should pay particular attention to the right to work, decent work and social security,” she said.