China and 25 Nations Call for an End to All Unilateral Sanctions

On October 19, a Chinese diplomat presented to the United Nations a joint statement issued by 25 countries against the economic sanctions, which have unfortunately become a standard tool of the trans-Atlantic powers to “punish” countries that challenge their policies. In addition to China and Russia, the statement was endorsed by 23 emerging or underdeveloped nations, including nine in Africa.

It stresses that: “We reaffirm our opposition to unilateral coercive measures and call on imposing states to immediately and completely cease such practice”. Such measures coupled with sanctions, “exacerbate existing humanitarian and economic challenges, result in lack of access to essential goods and services such as food, medicine, safe drinking water, fuel and electricity, and negatively affect the enjoyment of human rights, including the right to health and the right to life.”

The Chinese envoy ended the presentation with the following: “We call on states to avoid imposing future unilateral sanctions not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the UN. The current circumstance calls for solidarity and unity rather than confrontation and division, to address global challenges and promote and protect human rights for all.”

The joint statement was issued on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda, Belarus, Bolivia, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Cambodia, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the State of Palestine, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Zimbabwe, and of course China.