Empty Promises or Justiciable Rights: The Extraterritorial Reach of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Unilateral Sanctions

This paper examines the extraterritorial obligations of States under the ICESCR concerning the effects of their unilateral sectoral sanctions and the implications for human rights. It highlights that unilateral sectoral sanctions, while claimed to be targeted and accompanied by humanitarian exemptio...

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Main Author: Paula Mosquera Marquez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Groningen Press 2024-12-01
Series:Groningen Journal of International Law
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ugp.rug.nl/GROJIL/article/view/42123
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author Paula Mosquera Marquez
author_facet Paula Mosquera Marquez
author_sort Paula Mosquera Marquez
collection DOAJ
description This paper examines the extraterritorial obligations of States under the ICESCR concerning the effects of their unilateral sectoral sanctions and the implications for human rights. It highlights that unilateral sectoral sanctions, while claimed to be targeted and accompanied by humanitarian exemptions, still negatively affect the economic and social rights of the people in the sanctioned State. This paper analyses the US and EU sanctions on Iran, Venezuela, and Syria, demonstrating how these sanctions impact the population of the sanctioned State. The present paper analyses the problematic nature hereof, especially since there is an absence of justiciable obligations under the ICESCR regarding the effects of unilateral sectoral sanctions on the population of the sanctioned State. Furthermore, this paper shows an incongruity between the theoretical framework of humanitarian exemptions and their practical implementation, which further exacerbates the impact of these sanctions on the population of a sanctioned State. Moreover, this paper offers insights into the legitimacy challenges posed by unilateral sanctions, given their actual humanitarian impact. It underscores the pressing need for countries to exercise restraint when imposing such sanctions and, more crucially, to reassess the implementation of humanitarian exemptions critically.
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spelling doaj-art-ee59381900174f4fb6007e4119e695dc2025-01-28T14:15:03ZengUniversity of Groningen PressGroningen Journal of International Law2352-26742024-12-0111230232610.21827/GroJIL.11.2.302-32631790Empty Promises or Justiciable Rights: The Extraterritorial Reach of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Unilateral SanctionsPaula Mosquera Marquez0https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5998-9120Utrecht UniversityThis paper examines the extraterritorial obligations of States under the ICESCR concerning the effects of their unilateral sectoral sanctions and the implications for human rights. It highlights that unilateral sectoral sanctions, while claimed to be targeted and accompanied by humanitarian exemptions, still negatively affect the economic and social rights of the people in the sanctioned State. This paper analyses the US and EU sanctions on Iran, Venezuela, and Syria, demonstrating how these sanctions impact the population of the sanctioned State. The present paper analyses the problematic nature hereof, especially since there is an absence of justiciable obligations under the ICESCR regarding the effects of unilateral sectoral sanctions on the population of the sanctioned State. Furthermore, this paper shows an incongruity between the theoretical framework of humanitarian exemptions and their practical implementation, which further exacerbates the impact of these sanctions on the population of a sanctioned State. Moreover, this paper offers insights into the legitimacy challenges posed by unilateral sanctions, given their actual humanitarian impact. It underscores the pressing need for countries to exercise restraint when imposing such sanctions and, more crucially, to reassess the implementation of humanitarian exemptions critically.https://ugp.rug.nl/GROJIL/article/view/42123unilateral sanctionstargeted sanctionsextraterritorial obligationslegitimacyhumanitarian exemptionshuman rights
spellingShingle Paula Mosquera Marquez
Empty Promises or Justiciable Rights: The Extraterritorial Reach of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Unilateral Sanctions
Groningen Journal of International Law
unilateral sanctions
targeted sanctions
extraterritorial obligations
legitimacy
humanitarian exemptions
human rights
title Empty Promises or Justiciable Rights: The Extraterritorial Reach of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Unilateral Sanctions
title_full Empty Promises or Justiciable Rights: The Extraterritorial Reach of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Unilateral Sanctions
title_fullStr Empty Promises or Justiciable Rights: The Extraterritorial Reach of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Unilateral Sanctions
title_full_unstemmed Empty Promises or Justiciable Rights: The Extraterritorial Reach of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Unilateral Sanctions
title_short Empty Promises or Justiciable Rights: The Extraterritorial Reach of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Unilateral Sanctions
title_sort empty promises or justiciable rights the extraterritorial reach of economic social and cultural rights in the context of unilateral sanctions
topic unilateral sanctions
targeted sanctions
extraterritorial obligations
legitimacy
humanitarian exemptions
human rights
url https://ugp.rug.nl/GROJIL/article/view/42123
work_keys_str_mv AT paulamosqueramarquez emptypromisesorjusticiablerightstheextraterritorialreachofeconomicsocialandculturalrightsinthecontextofunilateralsanctions