China, 30 other countries call for end to coercive measures

China's ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday called for the complete and immediate lifting of unilateral coercive measures, stressing that they severely violate human rights and exacerbate humanitarian disasters.

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, made the joint statement on behalf of 30 nations at the General Debate of the Third Committee of the 76th session of the General Assembly. It marked the second time that China has made such an appeal along with many other countries.

Unilateral coercive measures usually refer to economic measures taken by one state to compel another state to make changes in its policy, according to Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Some examples included trade sanctions such as embargoes, and the interruption of financial and investment flows between sender and target countries.

Unilateral coercive measures violate human rights, which is intolerable, the ambassador emphasized. Zhang called for "a global response based on unity, solidarity and international cooperation" to address the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to have a severe impact on economic and social development in all countries, especially developing countries.

The sanctions have "severely hindered" that development, as well as the anti-epidemic efforts of relevant countries. They deprive the affected people an opportunity to fully realize human rights, and impede their well-being and social welfare, the ambassador said.

Zhang stressed that unilateral coercive sanctions affect humanitarianism, which is unreasonable. Such measures should be lifted immediately and completely to ensure that affected countries have adequate resources and support for pandemic response and recovery; that humanitarian aid can reach those in need without any delay or impediment; and that the suffering of those populations cease immediately, he said.

The coercive measures violate international laws and "have no basis in law", the ambassador underscored. States should avoid imposing unilateral sanctions that are not in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.

"The current circumstance calls for solidarity and unity rather than confrontation and division to address the global challenge and promote and protect human rights for all," Zhang said.

In recent years, the US and other Western countries have frequently initiated unilateral coercive measures against developing countries, which serious violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law and are contrary to multilateralism and the basic norms of international relations, he said.

The UN secretary-general, the high commissioner of human rights, the special rapporteurs of the Human Rights Council, and a vast number of developing countries, have all made strong calls on various occasions for the elimination of unilateral coercive measures, Zhang said.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the US and other Western countries have ignored "the unanimous voice of the international community" and intensified their implementation of the coercive measures. The acts seriously jeopardized the human rights of the people of affected countries and have been strongly opposed and criticized by an increasing number of countries, the ambassador said.

The issue has elicited increasing concern from multiple UN bodies, including the Commission on Human Rights, about their negative impact. The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution in 2014 stressing that unilateral coercive measures are contrary to international law, international humanitarian law, the UN Charter and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among states.

The UN General Assembly has adopted resolutions against "unilateral economic measures as a means of political and economic coercion against developing countries" every two years since 1989; on "necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the US against Cuba" each year since 1992; and on "human rights and unilateral coercive measures" each year since 1997.

Both Secretary-General António Guterres and the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet last year made an appeal to waive sanctions that undermine people's capacity to respond to the pandemic.

The statement was jointly signed by 31 countries, including China, Russia and Pakistan.