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Alena Douhan (Belarusian: Алена Доўгань) of Belarus is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, as 25 March 2020.[1] When appointed, she was a professor of International Law and the Director of the Peace Research Center at the Belarusian State University.[2][3] Douhan's position on economic sanctions have garnered criticism from some international human rights law scholars.[4]
Douhan earned a PhD at the Belarusian State University in 2005 and a Dr. habil. in International Law and European Law in 2015.[2][3]
According to the National Review, the role of Special Rapporteur was created by a 2014 resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council introduced by Iran on behalf of the non-aligned movement, and Douhan is the second to occupy the role.[5] The role is unpaid and its holder is not a member of the UN staff.[3] Germany, France the United Kingdom and the United States voted against the resolution to create her role while Russia, China, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia voted for the resolution.[6]
In May 2022, Hong Kong Free Press reported that, in 2021, Douhan received a $200,000 contribution from the Chinese government, $150,000 from Russia, and $225,000 from Qatar.[7]
China
In May 2024, following a visit to China, Douhan voiced opposition to United States sanctions against China, particularly import restrictions under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.[8] In an interview with Politico about the visit, Douhan refused to address the findings of the 2022 UN Human Rights Office report on Xinjiang.[9]
Qatar
Douhan was in Qatar for twelve days in November 2020 to assess the impact of sanctions imposed by neighbouring countries. She was due to report at the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council, to be held in September 2021. In a preliminary statement, she urged the lifting of sanctions.[10][11][needs update]
Syria
In December 2020, Douhan asked the U.S. to lift its sanctions against Syria, saying they "may inhibit rebuilding of Syria’s civilian infrastructure” destroyed by the conflict, and may “violate the human rights of the Syrian people”. Her comments were welcomed by the Syrian government, and rejected by the U.S. Special Envoy for Syria.[12][13] In November 2022, Douhan visited Syria and again called on the U.S., the European Union and some Arab states to lift their sanctions, which, she said, were having a large negative effect "across all walks of life in the country" and were "leading to shortages in medicines and medical equipment that affect the lives of ordinary Syrians".[14][15]
Venezuela
Douhan was due to visit Venezuela in August 2020 to investigate the impact of international sanctions.[16] Before her visit, 66 Venezuelan NGOs (including PROVEA) asked Douhan in an open letter to consider the harmful impact of sanctions in the context of years of repression, corruption and economic mismanagement that predate the sanctions, and requested she meet independent press and civil society researchers.[17][18][19][20]
She arrived on 31 January, and was welcomed on arrival by a government minister and the Venezuelan ambassador to the UN.[18] She declared in her preliminary findings as she left on 12 February:[21] that sanctions against Venezuela have had a negative impact on both the economy and the population.[22] In her report, Douhan said that sanctions against Venezuela had worsened the economic and humanitarian crisis in the country, but that Venezuela's economic decline "began in 2014 with the fall in oil prices" and that "mismanagement and corruption had also contributed". The Venezuelan government welcomed the report, while the opposition accused her of "playing into the hands of the regime" of Nicolás Maduro.[1][23][24][25] Douhan was harshly criticized by Venezuelan civil society,,[26] and several non-governmental organizations led a social media campaign using the hashtag "#Lacrisisfueprimero" (The crisis came first).[27][28][29]
Iran
Douhan visited Iran in 2022 to assess the impact of U.S. sanctions on the human rights situation in the country. Iranian activists living outside the country were concerned that Iran would restrict the organizations and individuals she would be allowed to meet.[30]
- Douhan, A. F. (2017) The Ukrainian Crisis: Wrong Responses of the International Community? in Czapliński, Władysław (2017). The case of Crimea's annexation under international law. Warsaw: SCHOLAR Publishing House. ISBN 978-83-7383-901-4. OCLC 1023629066.
- Douhan, A. F. (2018). Fundamental human rights and coercive measures: impact and interdependence. Journal of the Belarusian State University. International Relations, 1, 67–77. Retrieved from https://journals.bsu.by/index.php/internationalRelations/article/view/1307
- Douhan, Alena F. (2020) "CHANGING NATURE OF AN INDIVIDUAL IN INTERNATIONAL LAW." Kutafin University Law Review, vol. 5, no. 2, 2018, p. 290+. Accessed 10 June 2020.
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