Alena Douhan

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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 at the Belarusian State University and the Director of the Peace Research Center.[2][3]

Douhan earned a PhD at the Belarusian State University in 2005 and a Dr. hab. in International Law and European Law in 2015.[2][3]

Special Rapporteur[]

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.[4] The role is unpaid and its holder is not a member of the UN staff.[3]

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, but made a preliminary statement critical of the sanctions.[5][6]

Syria[]

In December 2020, Douhan made a statement against US sanctions against Syria's government, 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 government of Bashar al-Assad, while the US Special Envoy for Syria rejected her findings.[7][8]

Venezuela[]

Douhan was due to visit Venezuela in August 2020 to investigate the impact of international sanctions.[9] 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.[10][11][12][13]

She arrived on 31 January, and was welcomed on arrival by a government minister and the Venezuelan ambassador to the UN.[11] She declared on her preliminary findings as she left on 12 February:[14] that sanctions against Venezuela have had a "devastating" noticeable impact in both the economy and the population.[15] She said "the increasing number of unilateral sanctions imposed by United States, the European Union and other countries have exacerbated the economic and humanitarian calamities in Venezuela" but that Venezuela's economic decline "began in 2014 with the fall in oil prices" and that "mismanagement and corruption had also contributed." The government welcomed the report, while the opposition accused her of "playing into the hands of the regime" of Nicolás Maduro.[1][16][17][18] Douhan was harshly criticized by the Venezuelan civil society,[19] and several non-governmental organizations pronounced themselves in social media with the hashtag "#Lacrisisfueprimero" (The crisis came first).[20][21][22]

Publications[]

  • 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 83-7383-901-1. 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." , vol. 5, no. 2, 2018, p. 290+. Accessed 10 June 2020.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "La rapporteuse de l'ONU juge " dévastateurs " les effets des sanctions sur le Venezuela". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2021-02-15. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ms. Alena Douhan, Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures". Office of the High Commissioner. United Nations Human Rights. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "¿Quién es Alena Douhan, la relatora de la ONU que visitó Venezuela?". EL NACIONAL (in Spanish). 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  4. ^ Quinn, Jimmy (2020-08-19). "Will a U.N. Human-Rights Expert Defend Belarus's Dictator?". National Review. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  5. ^ "Siege nations asked to lift anti-Qatar steps including ban on freedom of speech". Gulf-Times. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  6. ^ "'Implement provisional measures decided in favour of Qatar'". Gulf-Times. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  7. ^ "Syria blasts US for sanctions, following UN expert's remarks". AP NEWS. 2021-01-02. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  8. ^ "US Syria Envoy 'categorically rejects' statement by UN rapporteur about Caesar Sanctions". Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  9. ^ "Venezuela security operations leave over 1,300 dead in five months, U.N. rights office says". Reuters. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  10. ^ Calles, Óscar. "Carta abierta a la Relatora Especial, Alena Douhan, por su visita a Venezuela │ PROVEA". PROVEA (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Lusa, Agência (2021-02-02). "Venezuela. Relatora especial da ONU em visita para avaliar impacto de sanções internacionais". Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  12. ^ "66 Venezuelan NGOs Pen Open Letter to UN Special Rapporteur on Sanctions". Washington Office on Latin America. 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  13. ^ Käufer, Tobias (2021-02-14). "UN-Sonderbericht: Schallende Ohrfeige für die Venezuela-Politik des Westens". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  14. ^ "Maduro anuncia que este jueves 18 comienza la vacunación". CNN (in Spanish). 2021-02-18. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  15. ^ "¿Quién es Alena Douhan, la relatora de la ONU que visitó Venezuela?". El Nacional (in Spanish). 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  16. ^ "Relatora de la ONU pide levantar sancionas contra Venezuela. - 13.02.2021". DW.COM (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  17. ^ Sequera, Vivian (2021-02-12). "U.N. envoy urges U.S. to relax Venezuela sanctions, drawing opposition rebuke". U.S. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  18. ^ Moleiro, Alonso (2021-02-13). "Una relatora de la ONU afirma que las sanciones a Maduro "han agravado las calamidades de los venezolanos"". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  19. ^ Barráez, Sebastiana (17 February 2021). "Qué hay detrás del informe de la relatora especial de Derechos Humanos de la ONU para encubrir los crímenes contra presos políticos en Venezuela". infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  20. ^ ""Falta mucho por decir": activistas venezolanos sobre informe de relatora de la ONU". Radio y Televisión Martí (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  21. ^ Martínez, Sammy Paola (2021-02-13). "Mariela Ramírez: Alena Douhan desconoció violaciones a los DD. HH. y desmantelamiento del Estado". El Pitazo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  22. ^ "Oposición acusa a relatora de ONU de seguir narrativa de Maduro por sanciones". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
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