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<h1 class="reader-title">Venezuela sanctions harm human rights
of innocent people, UN expert warns</h1>
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<p>GENEVA (31 January 2019) – Sanctions which can lead to
starvation and medical shortages are not the answer to
the crisis in Venezuela, says UN human rights expert
Idriss Jazairy. His comments follow the imposition of
sanctions on Venezuela’s national oil company by the
United States. </p>
<p>“I am especially concerned to hear reports that these
sanctions are aimed at changing the government of
Venezuela,” said Mr. Jazairy, the UN Special Rapporteur
concerned with the negative impact of sanctions. </p>
<p>“Coercion, whether military or economic, must never be
used to seek a change in government in a sovereign
state. The use of sanctions by outside powers to
overthrow an elected government is in violation of all
norms of international law. </p>
<p>“I call upon the international community to engage in
constructive dialogue with Venezuela to find solutions
to the very real challenges being faced,” the expert
urged. </p>
<p>“Economic sanctions are effectively compounding the
grave crisis affecting the Venezuelan economy, adding to
the damage caused by hyperinflation and the fall in oil
prices. This is a time when compassion should be
expressed for the long-suffering people of Venezuela by
promoting, not curtailing, access to food and medicine,”
Mr. Jazairy said. </p>
<p>Precipitating an economic and humanitarian crisis in
Venezuela is not a foundation for the peaceful
settlement of disputes, Mr. Jazairy noted. “I call on
States to engage in and facilitate constructive
dialogues with all parties to find solutions which
respect the human rights of Venezuelans,” he said. </p>
<p>“I am deeply concerned about reports of serious human
rights violations happening in Venezuela, including a
growing risk of violence, and implicit threats of
international violence. There is a need for all parties
and all countries to work for a peaceful solution which
does not lead to any further violence,” the expert
added. </p>
<p>His call echoed <a
href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2019-01-24/statement-attributable-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-venezuela-scroll-down-for-spanish">comments</a>
by the Spokesman for the UN Secretary General,
underscoring “the urgent need for all relevant actors to
engage in an inclusive and credible political dialogue
to address the long crisis facing the country, with full
respect for the rule of law and human rights”. </p>
<p>The expert drew attention to the <a
href="http://www.un-documents.net/a25r2625.htm">UN
Declaration on the Principles of International Law</a>
concerning friendly relations and cooperation among
States in accordance with the Charter of the United
Nations, which urges States to resolve their differences
through dialogue and peaceful relations, and to avoid
the use of economic, political or other measures to
coerce another State in regard to the exercise of its
sovereign rights. </p>
<p>“I urge all countries to avoid applying sanctions
unless approved by the United Nations Security Council,
as required by the UN Charter,” the Special Rapporteur
concluded. </p>
<p>ENDS </p>
<p><em><strong>Mr. Idriss Jazairy</strong> (Algeria) was
appointed by the Human Rights Council as the first
Special Rapporteur on the <a
href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/UCM/Pages/SRCoerciveMeasures.aspx">negative
impact of the unilateral coercive measures</a> on
the enjoyment of human rights. He took office in May
2015. Mr. Jazairy has extensive experience in the
fields of international relations and human rights
with the Algerian Foreign Ministry, the UN human
rights system and international NGOs. He holds a M.A.
(Oxford) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and an
M.P.A. (Harvard). He also graduated from the Ecole
nationale d’Administration (France). Mr. Jazairy is
the author of books and of a large number of articles
in the international press on development, human
rights and current affairs. </em></p>
<p><em>The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known
as the <a
href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Welcomepage.aspx">Special
Procedures</a> of the Human Rights Council. Special
Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in
the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the
Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring
mechanisms that address either specific country
situations or thematic issues in all parts of the
world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary
basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a
salary for their work. They are independent from any
government or organization and serve in their
individual capacity. </em></p>
<p><em>For more information and <strong>media requests</strong>,
please contact: Mr. Stee Asbjornsen (+41 22 917 9827
/ <a href="mailto:sasbjornsen@ohchr.org">sasbjornsen@ohchr.org</a> )
or write to <a href="mailto:ucm@ohchr.org">ucm@ohchr.org</a>
</em></p>
<p><em>For <strong>media inquiries </strong>related to
other UN independent experts please contact: Mr.
Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+41 22
917 9383 / <a href="mailto:laurence@ohchr.org">jlaurence@ohchr.org</a>)
</em></p>
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