West vs the rest: World opposes sanctions, only US & Europe support them
The UN Human Rights Council voted overwhelmingly to condemn sanctions. The only countries that expressed support for unilateral coercive measures were the US, UK, EU member states, Georgia and Ukraine
The United Nations Human Rights Council voted overwhelmingly to condemn sanctions. The only countries that expressed support for the tool of economic warfare were the United States, Britain, European Union member states, Georgia, and Ukraine.
Sanctions are formally known as unilateral coercive measures, and they violate international law.
On 3 April, the UN Human Rights Council voted with 33 members in support of and 13 against a resolution that "urges all States to stop adopting, maintaining, implementing or complying with unilateral coercive measures".
The document, A/HRC/52/L.18, "urges the removal of such measures, as they are contrary to the [UN] Charter and norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States".
The resolution was submitted by Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
It illustrated how UN votes are often the West versus the rest of the world:
For (33)
Algeria
Argentina
Bangladesh
Benin
Bolivia
Cameroon
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Cuba
Eritrea
Gabon
Gambia
Honduras
India
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Morocco
Nepal
Pakistan
Paraguay
Qatar
Senegal
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
UAE
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Against (13)
Belgium
Czechia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Montenegro
Romania
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Abstained (1)
Mexico
The resolution stated that it "strongly condemns the continued unilateral application and enforcement by certain powers of such measures as tools of pressure, including political and economic pressure, against any country, particularly against least developed and developing countries, with a view to preventing these countries from exercising their right to decide, of their own free will, their own political, economic and social systems".
This is a clear reference to Washington's blockades of Cuba and Venezuela, which aim to overthrow the country's socialist governments, and which clearly violate international law.
The resolution added that sanctions cause "serious violations of human rights of targeted populations", with "particular consequences for women, children, including adolescents, the elderly and persons with disabilities".
The document cited many past UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions and reports by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that also condemned unilateral sanctions.
The West's imposition of unilateral sanctions has skyrocketed in recent decades.
According to a 2021 Treasury review, 9,421 parties were sanctioned by the US government at the end of that year, a staggering 933% increase since 2000.
More than one-third of the global population lives in countries that are suffering under sanctions.
And most of the countries depicted in grey are puppet states or aligned with the USA. Maps like this send one very urgent message: We must establish a multipolar world that is fair to all countries and lifts all boats. A multipolar world is not just an option, it is essential for global survival where peaceful co-existence, democracy, rule of international law, and reciprocity prevail.
Now let's talk about all those countries who voted yes, and just how much pressure the US/EU/UK puts on these countries to go along with the sanctions. How many of these countries have been or are currently under sanctions? Along this line is the Ukraine war and how top US military officials visiting many of these countries in the South tried to get them to give Ukraine war materials. My understanding is most countries in Latin America wouldn't comply but Chile gave them mine clearing equipment. President Boric has had multiple discussions with Ukrainian Pres Zelensky. He even was allowed to speak before Congress. President Boric like some others speak out of two sides of their mouths; Human rights, anti-imperialism, etc and then behind everyone's back they support the US. My theory is the US has their hands around these president's necks, and if you step outside of supporting them then you will be sanctioned or worse, removed via a financed coup into the hands of the far right factions who the US wants in power. This way they can steal their natural resources and install multinational corporations to destroy a countries wealth and destroy its citizen's livelihoods. This is how the game is played today. I can only hope that what we're seeing with Mexican President AMLO and Brazilian President Lula trying to bring the South together to stop the imperialist. Also, the use of the SUR as a means of working around the dollar, that they will have greater impact as a group of nations to move us further away from becoming more totalitarian like the US has become.