Global Legal Monitor
International: United Nations Welcomes Loosening of Sanctions in Gulf Region
(Feb. 17, 2021) On January 5, 2021, United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement welcoming the news that Saudi Arabia had lifted the economic and political sanctions it had imposed on Qatar since 2017. Guterres was joined two days later by U.N. Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights Alena Douhan, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano, and ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu in praising the new developments in the Gulf. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra‘ad Al Hussein, had previously noted that the sanctions were overly broad in scope and implementation, and could therefore result in serious violations of human rights. The sanctions included the closure of Qatar’s sole land border with Saudi Arabia, the blockage of ports, and an air blockade. This first