The special rapporteur of the United Nations (UN) on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, Alena Douhan, arrived this Saturday in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on an official visit that she will carry out in the country from 1 to February 12.
The UN expert was received at the main airport in Venezuela by the Vice-minister for Multilateral Issues of the People’s Power Ministry for Foreign Relations, Daniela Rodríguez, accompanied by the Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations and other international organizations based in Geneva, Héctor Constant.
This Friday, the Special Rapporteur expressed her full willingness to “examine, in a spirit of cooperation and dialogue, whether and how does the adoption, maintenance or application of sanctions hinders the full realization of people’s human rights.”
“I will focus in particular on any negative impact that the sanctions may have on the enjoyment of all human rights in Venezuela”, said the senior official in a UN press release, whose text she disseminated through her Twitter account, @AlenaDouhan.
Country visit to Venezuela will take place on 1-12 February to assess impact of unilateral sanctions on human rights https://t.co/vKuzeu2MRd
— Alena Douhan (@AlenaDouhan) January 29, 2021
During her visit to Venezuela, the Special Rapporteur plans to meet with senior officials of the Venezuelan Government, the National Human Rights Council, members of the National Assembly and the Judiciary; representatives of international organizations, the diplomatic corps, civil society, sectors of the opposition, lawyers, academics, activists, victims and their families.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in recent years, has been the subject of various unilateral coercive measures imposed from the White House, which have had a negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.