Alena Douhan

Alena Douhan
Алена Доўгань
CitizenshipBelarusian
EducationBelarusian State University (PhD, Dr. habil.)
Known forUnited Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures

Alena Douhan (Belarusian: Алена Доўгань) is a Belarusian legal scholar. She was appointed United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights on 25 March 2020. When appointed, she was a professor of International Law and the Director of the Peace Research Center at the Belarusian State University. Douhan's position on economic sanctions was criticised by Aaron Fellmeth, professor of law at Arizona State University.

Education

Douhan earned a PhD at the Belarusian State University in 2005 and a Dr. habil. in International Law and European Law in 2015.

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. The role is unpaid and its holder is not a member of the UN staff. Germany, France the United Kingdom and the United States voted against the resolution to create her role while Russia, China, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia voted for the resolution.

According to pro-Israel organization UN Watch, Douhan in 2021 received a $200,000 contribution from the Chinese government, $150,000 from Russia, and $25,000 from Qatar. UN Watch later said that between 2020 and 2024, she received over $900,000 from China and over $250,000 from Russia.

China

In May 2024, following a visit to China, Douhan called for the suspension of "all unilateral sanctions applied to China, Chinese nationals and companies without authorization of the U.N. Security Council", including import restrictions under the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. In an interview with Politico on how her visit's findings differed from the 2022 UN Human Rights Office report on Xinjiang., Douhan said she "absolutely [did] not want to get into any conflict" with the U.N. Office report. She added that for her own mandate, she could not identify "valid grounds" for U.S. sanctions related to Xinjiang.

Israel

In June 2020, Douhan joined 46 other UNHRC experts in condemning the Israeli settlements and proposed annexation of the West Bank as a violation of human rights as well as international law. In April 2024, she issued a joint statement with UN expert Attiya Waris opposing a threat made by Israel's finance minister Bezalel Smotrich to cancel an annual protection waiver protecting Israeli banks from terrorism-related lawsuits involving collaboration with West Bank financial companies. The two experts said restricting Palestinian banks "from the global banking system unilaterally also violates the principle of sovereign equality of states" as well as "the principle of non-intervention into the domestic affairs of states", noting further that it would "exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe" for everyone in Palestine.

Iran

Douhan visited Iran in May 2022 to assess the impact of U.S. sanctions on the human rights situation in the country. Iranian activists living outside the country were concerned that Iran would restrict the organizations and individuals she would be allowed to meet. Following her 12-day visit, she concluded that the sanctions contributed to poverty along with a shortage of basic necessities in the country and further called on "sanctioning states, in particular the United States, to lift all unilateral measures imposed against Iran, Iranian nationals and companies without authorization of the UN Security Council."

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. In a preliminary statement, she urged the lifting of sanctions.[needs update]

Syria

In December 2020, Douhan asked the U.S. to lift its sanctions against Syria, 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 Syrian government, and rejected by the U.S. Special Envoy for Syria. In November 2022, Douhan visited Syria and again called on the U.S., the European Union and some Arab states to lift their sanctions, which, she said, were having a large negative effect "across all walks of life in the country" and were "leading to shortages in medicines and medical equipment that affect the lives of ordinary Syrians".

Venezuela

Douhan was due to visit Venezuela in August 2020 to investigate the impact of international sanctions. 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.

She arrived on 31 January, and was welcomed on arrival by a government minister and the Venezuelan ambassador to the UN. She declared in her preliminary findings as she left on 12 February: that sanctions against Venezuela have had a negative impact on both the economy and the population. In her report, Douhan said that sanctions against Venezuela had worsened the economic and humanitarian crisis in the country, but that Venezuela's economic decline "began in 2014 with the fall in oil prices" and that "mismanagement and corruption had also contributed". The Venezuelan government welcomed the report, while the opposition accused her of "playing into the hands of the regime" of Nicolás Maduro. Douhan was harshly criticized by Venezuelan civil society,, and several non-governmental organizations led a social media campaign using the hashtag "#Lacrisisfueprimero" (The crisis came first).

Publications

References

  1. 1 2 "La rapporteuse de l'ONU juge " dévastateurs " les effets des sanctions sur le Venezuela". Le Monde (in French). 2021-02-15. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  2. 1 2 "Ms. Alena Douhan, Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures". Office of the High Commissioner. United Nations Human Rights. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "¿Quién es Alena Douhan, la relatora de la ONU que visitó Venezuela?". El Nacional (in Spanish). 2021-02-12. Archived from the original on 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  4. ↑ Fellmeth, Aaron (September 6, 2023). "Unilateral Sanctions Under International Human Rights Law: Correcting the Record". Yale Journal of International Law. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  5. ↑ Quinn, Jimmy (2020-08-19). "Will a U.N. Human-Rights Expert Defend Belarus's Dictator?". National Review. Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  6. ↑ "Is it time to lift sanctions on Syria?". Deutsche Welle. 2022-11-15. Archived from the original on 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  7. ↑ Larson, Nina (20 May 2022). "UN expert Alena Douhan slammed over US$2000,000 contribution from China". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  8. ↑ Philpott, Limor Simhony (4 June 2026). "The UN is being used as a weapon against the West". Spiked. Archived from the original on 5 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  9. ↑ Quinn, Jimmy (May 24, 2024). "U.N. Rapporteur, after Receiving Chinese Funding, Calls for End to All Sanctions on China". National Review. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  10. ↑ Kine, Phelim (2024-05-30). "Ooh la la, Dong and Austin in Shangri-La". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  11. ↑ "Israeli Annexation of Parts of the Palestinian West Bank Would Break International Law – UN Experts Call on the International Community to Ensure Accountability". United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine. 16 June 2020. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Israel: Withholding tax revenue and revoking banking waivers could paralyse Palestinian economy, UN experts warn". OHCHR. Archived from the original on 2026-05-13. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  13. ↑ Esfandiari, Golnaz (May 13, 2022). "Visit To Iran By Controversial UN Rapporteur Provokes Concerns". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 2024-01-28. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  14. ↑ "U.N. Rapporteur Concludes Controversial Trip | The Iran Primer". United States Institute of Peace. 2022-05-20. Archived from the original on 2025-12-07. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  15. ↑ "Siege nations asked to lift anti-Qatar steps including ban on freedom of speech". Gulf-Times. 2020-11-12. Archived from the original on 2022-11-20. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  16. ↑ "'Implement provisional measures decided in favour of Qatar'". Gulf-Times. 2020-11-12. Archived from the original on 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  17. ↑ "Syria blasts US for sanctions, following UN expert's remarks". AP NEWS. 2021-01-02. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  18. ↑ "US Syria Envoy 'categorically rejects' statement by UN rapporteur about Caesar Sanctions". Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East. 29 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-03-12. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  19. ↑ Aji, Albert (11 November 2022). "UN envoy urges lifting of sanctions harming Syrian civilians". news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  20. ↑ "UN expert calls for lifting of long-lasting unilateral sanctions 'suffocating' Syrian people". OHCHR. 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  21. ↑ "Venezuela security operations leave over 1,300 dead in five months, U.N. rights office says". Reuters. 2020-07-02. Archived from the original on 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  22. ↑ Calles, Óscar (February 2021). "Carta abierta a la Relatora Especial, Alena Douhan, por su visita a Venezuela │ PROVEA". PROVEA (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  23. 1 2 Lusa, Agência (2021-02-02). "Venezuela. Relatora especial da ONU em visita para avaliar impacto de sanções internacionais". Observador (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  24. ↑ "66 Venezuelan NGOs Pen Open Letter to UN Special Rapporteur on Sanctions". Washington Office on Latin America. 2021-02-03. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  25. ↑ Käufer, Tobias (2021-02-14). "UN-Sonderbericht: Schallende Ohrfeige für die Venezuela-Politik des Westens". Die Welt (in German). Archived from the original on 2021-02-20. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  26. ↑ "Maduro anuncia que este jueves 18 comienza la vacunación". CNN (in Spanish). 2021-02-18. Archived from the original on 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  27. ↑ "Relatora de la ONU pide levantar sancionas contra Venezuela. - 13.02.2021". Deutsche Welle (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  28. ↑ Sequera, Vivian (2021-02-12). "U.N. envoy urges U.S. to relax Venezuela sanctions, drawing opposition rebuke". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  29. ↑ 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). Archived from the original on 2021-03-13. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  30. ↑ 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). Archived from the original on 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  31. ↑ ""Falta mucho por decir": activistas venezolanos sobre informe de relatora de la ONU". Radio y Televisión Martí (in Spanish). 16 February 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  32. ↑ Martínez, Sammy Paola (2021-02-13). "Mariela Ramírez: Alena Douhan desconoció violaciones a los DD. HH. y desmantelamiento del Estado". El Pitazo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  33. ↑ "Oposición acusa a relatora de ONU de seguir narrativa de Maduro por sanciones". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2021-02-12. Archived from the original on 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2021-02-18.