West votes against rest of world, supporting illegal sanctions in UN Human Rights Council

In the United Nations Human Rights Council, the West voted against the rest of the world, supporting illegal sanctions (known as unilateral coercive measures).

In the United Nations Human Rights Council, the West voted against the rest of the world, supporting unilateral coercive measures, known popularly as sanctions, which violate international law.

In the April 3 meeting of the Human Rights Council (HRC), a resolution was approved titled "The negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights".

The measure condemned sanctions for their "far-reaching implications for the human rights of the general population of targeted States, disproportionately affecting the poor and persons in the most vulnerable situations".

It called for the UN to take "concrete measures to ensure the removal of unilateral coercive measures affecting the enjoyment of human rights of victims".

The HRC has 47 members. Of these, 32 voted in favor, 14 voted against, and 1 abstained.

The countries that opposed the resolution consisted of the United States, its European allies, and Japan. The only nation that abstained was Argentina, which is governed by far-right leader Javier Milei, who has pledged staunch support for the US.

China voted in alliance with the global majority.

This measure condemning unilateral coercive measures had been sponsored by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Uganda, which is currently chairing the NAM, denounced the imposition of sanctions by wealthy Global North countries.

The United States has levied sanctions against more than 50 countries, representing over one-quarter of the world population and approximately one-third of global GDP.

In the same session on April 3, the HRC approved another resolution titled "Effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights".

This measure called for "debt relief" and proposed "urgent measures to alleviate the debt problem and to address the debt sustainability of developing countries".

Once again, the West voted against the resolution, while most of the Global South supported it.

The final vote was 31 in favor and 12 against, with four abstentions.

China, again, voted in alliance with the global majority.

The West frequently votes together in a bloc against the Global South in the United Nations.

Geopolitical Economy Report documented in November 2023 how, in the UN General Assembly, the West voted against the rest of the world, opposing resolutions on democracy, human rights, and cultural diversity and supporting sanctions and mercenaries.