🌐 A UN special rapporteur has called on nations to lift what she describes as illegal unilateral sanctions against China. Alena Douhan, after wrapping up a 12-day visit to China, highlighted the adverse socioeconomic and human rights impacts these sanctions are having.
📉 \"These sanctions have led to significant drops in business turnover,\" Douhan reported. She noted that businesses are over-complying out of fear of secondary sanctions, causing job losses and halting production not just in China but also in other countries.
👥 The most vulnerable groups are bearing the brunt. \"Job cuts disproportionately affect labor-intensive sectors, including women, older persons, and those in informal employment,\" she said.
🏭 Xinjiang is particularly hard-hit, with disruptions in key economic sectors like textiles, cotton, and new energy technologies such as polycrystalline silicon for the photovoltaic industry.
💡 Since 2017, China has faced unilateral sanctions from several countries, especially the U.S. Over 600 Chinese individuals and entities are sanctioned, impacting sectors like technology, trade, finance, and more.
🎓 Education isn't spared either. Foreign researchers are leaving China, and Chinese scholars face hurdles engaging with international institutions. Douhan pointed out that \"Sanctions often result in arbitrary assessments,\" leading to visa issues and canceled collaborations.
⚖️ Douhan expressed concern over the lack of due process for those designated under these sanctions. \"Designated individuals and entities are not provided with evidence for their designation,\" she said, highlighting the challenges in seeking legal recourse.
🚨 She reiterated the illegality of the extraterritorial application of unilateral sanctions and urged sanctioning states to address over-compliance to mitigate humanitarian impacts.
📅 The special rapporteur will present her report to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2024. Stay tuned!
Reference(s):
UN expert calls to remove sanctions against China citing 'illegality'
cgtn.com
