Unilateral sanctions violate international law, impede advancing Sustainable Development Goals

Most unilateral sanctions, imposed mainly by the U.S.-led Western powers, do not fall within the scope of international law and will impede advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, a United Nations human rights expert has said in a recent interview. Alena Douhan, special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures (UCMs) on the enjoyment of human rights, said these sanctions imposed mostly in the name of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, undermine those very principles, values and norms.