UN rights expert equates sanctions to economic warfare News
janeb13 / Pixabay
UN rights expert equates sanctions to economic warfare

UN Special Rapporteur Idriss Jazairy said Thursday that sanctions that seek to block a country’s trade completely are equivalent to economic warfare against civilians.

Economic sanctions are meant to burden states, but these often expose civilians to hardships, including impediments to humanitarian assistance. According to Jazairy, blocking necessities such as food and medicine “expos[e] innocent civilians to collective punishment,” which is contrary to peaceful resolutions advocated by the UN Charter.

While the toll to civilians is obvious during physical conflicts, Jazairy noted that the consequence of economic sanctions and warfare is the same–both result in the death of innocent civilians. Although the Geneva Conventions convey protections to people during war, no equivalent exists for people under economic sanction.

There are, however, means to alleviate and prevent humanitarian crises that stem from economic blockades. While sanctions are in force, Jazairy said states should be obliged to maintain humanitarian exemptions, which should include “blanket protections for the importation of food, medicine, and other necessities of life without first requiring lengthy and complex approval processes.”

According to the expert, a declaration that protects civilians from consequences of political coercion would improve modern human rights practices and would help alleviate unnecessary civilian suffering.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.