In its resolution 24/14, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to organize a workshop on the impact of the application of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights by the affected populations, in particular their socioeconomic impact on women and children, in the States targeted.

This workshop was held on 23 May 2014 in Geneva. The report on the proceedings of the workshop (A/HRC/27/32) was submitted to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-seventh session.

Objectives

The workshop aimed to: 

• Provide a platform for the exchange of views among States, academic and civil society experts, and human rights mechanisms, on the impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, especially of women and children 
• Follow up on recommendations of the previous workshop held in 2013 and contribute to the current efforts of the Human Rights Council’s Advisory Committee to identify mechanisms to assess and mitigate the adverse impact of unilateral coercive measures and ensure accountability; 
• Share experiences of contemporary unilateral coercive measures and learn lessons from the past as a first step towards developing basic principles and guidelines to redress adverse impacts of unilateral coercive measures. 

Format

The workshop consisted of three panel discussions, which began with presentations from invited experts, followed by an interactive discussion between the experts and participants. The workshop was led by an expert moderator. The concept note of the workshop is available here. The programme is available here.

Participants

Representatives of Member States, UN agencies, academia and civil society and other relevant stakeholders, were invited to the workshop.

Presentations and statements

Summary

• Brief summary of the event and key statements

Opening Session

• Mr. Craig Mokhiber, Chief, Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch, OHCHR

Session I: Assessing the impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, in particular of women and children

• Ms Haifa Zangana, novelist and journalist
• Mr. Mohamed Younis, Senior Analyst, Middle East and North Africa, Gallup
• Mr. Dursun Peksen, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Memphis

Session II: Mechanisms to assess and mitigate the adverse impact of unilateral coercive measures and ensure accountability

• Mr. Antonios Tzanakopoulos, Associate Professor of Public International Law, University of Oxford
• Ms Susanne Kühn, Head of Public Sector Integrity Programme, Transparency International
• Mr. Obiora Okafor, Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School and Member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee

Session III: Contemporary unilateral coercive measures: Learning lessons from the past to develop basic principles to redress adverse impacts

• Ms Ingrid Macdonald, Geneva Director, Norwegian Refugee Council
• Mr. Denis Halliday, former UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq
• Ms Sarah Zaidi, Consultant, former Executive Director, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition and Co-founder, Center for Economic and Social Rights 

Statements made available to the Secretariat:

States

• Cuba
• Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement
• Myanmar
• Qatar
  1-2
• Sudan
• Zimbabwe

Other Stakeholders

• Mr. Alfred de Zayas
• NGO Hawa Society for Women
  1-2
• NGO Maarij Foundation for Peace and Development
• NGO Organization for Defending Victims of Violence