Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/11 Human rights and unilateral coercive measures

The Commission on Human Rights,

Recalling the purposes and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Reaffirming the pertinent principles and provisions contained in the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974, in particular article 32, which declares that no State may use or encourage the use of economic, political or any type of measures to coerce another State in order to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights,

Recalling its resolution 1999/21 of 23 April 1999 and noting General Assembly resolution 54/172 of 17 December 1999,

Taking note with interest of the report of the Secretary-General on human rights and unilateral coercive measures (E/CN.4/2000/46 and Add.1),

Recognizing and reiterating the universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated character of all human rights and, in this regard, reaffirming the right to development as an integral part of all human rights,

Expressing its concern about the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures in the field of international relations, trade, investment and cooperation,

Recalling that the World Conference on Human Rights called upon States to refrain from any unilateral measure not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that creates obstacles to trade relations among States and impedes the full realization of all human rights,

Deeply concerned that, despite the recommendations adopted on this issue by the General Assembly and United Nations conferences and contrary to general international law and the Charter of the United Nations, unilateral coercive measures continue to be promulgated and implemented 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 unilateral coercive measures are one of the obstacles to the implementation of the Declaration on the Right to Development,

1. Urges all States to refrain from adopting or implementing unilateral measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, 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. Invites all States to consider adopting administrative or legislative measures, as appropriate, when necessary, to counteract the extraterritorial application or effects of unilateral coercive measures;

3. Rejects the application of such measures as tools for political or economic pressure against any country, particularly against developing countries, because of their negative effects on the realization of all human rights of vast sectors of their populations, inter alia children, women, the elderly, disabled and ill people;

4. Calls upon Member States that have initiated such measures to abide by the principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, the declarations of the United Nations and world conferences and relevant resolutions and to commit themselves to their obligations and responsibilities arising from the international human rights instruments to which they are parties by revoking such measures at the earliest possible time;

5. Reaffirms, in this context, the right of all peoples to self-determination, by virtue of which they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development;

6. Also reaffirms that essential goods such as food and medicines should not be used as tools for political coercion, and that under no circumstances should people be deprived of their own means of substance and development;

7. Underlines that unilateral coercive measures are one of the major obstacles to the implementation of the Declaration on the Right to Development and, in this regard, calls upon all States to avoid the unilateral imposition of economic coercive measures and the extraterritorial application of domestic laws which run counter to the principles of free trade and hamper the development of developing countries, as recognized by the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on the Right to Development in its last report;

8. Invites the new open-ended working group on the right to development, which will meet after the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on Human Rights, to give due consideration to the question of human rights and the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures;

9. Invites all special rapporteurs and existing thematic mechanisms of the Commission in the field of economic, social and cultural rights to pay due attention, within the scope of their respective mandates, to the negative impact and consequences of unilateral coercive measures;

10. Decides to give due consideration to the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures in its task concerning the implementation of the right to development;

11. Requests:

(a) The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in discharging her functions in relation to the promotion, realization and protection of the right to development, to pay due attention and give urgent consideration to the present resolution;

(b) The Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all Member States and to seek their views and information on the implications and negative effects of unilateral coercive measures on their populations, and to submit a report thereon to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-seventh session;

12. Decides to examine this question, on a priority basis, at its fifty-seventh session under the same agenda item.

52nd meeting
17 April 2000
[Adopted by a roll-call vote of 36 votes to 9,
with 7 abstentions. ]