Sanctions as State's Violation of International Obligations in Protection of Human Rights

The main purpose of economic sanctions is to exercise pressure on one country or governing state to force it to abide by a specific attitude or action, and finally these are the people in target state who feel the severest consequences of sanctions. Human rights is one of the most important aspects of international law and a vital issue the international community is dealing with. Violation of basic principles of international law by imposing economic sanctions will fall also in the rein of international human rights.
Hence, it is necessary to note that Security Council, unilateral and secondary sanctions will have severe consequences on human rights.
In accordance with international law, the states are the main actors in the process of treaty building and the main task to ensure protection of human rights rests on them and they are legally responsible in case of its violation. Sanctions not only affect the life of those who live in the territory of the target state, but also affect the rights of individuals. This has been globally accepted that the comprehensive sanction regimes will have destructive effect on the enjoyment of right to health and right to food by the population in the target state. Sanctions have dramatic consequences on the rights which have been recognised by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights. Sanctions mostly endanger the right to life and severely affect the functioning of educational and health systems and diminish rights such as right to work, adequate life standards, development and self-determination.