UNGA Declares 4 December as International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures and Elects 34 Members to UNCITRAL (2025–2031).
International
On 16–18 June 2025, the UN General Assembly designated 4 December annually as the International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures and elected 34 member states to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) for 2025–31.
- On 16 June 2025, the UNGA passed a resolution declaring 4 December as the International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures, receiving 116 votes in favour, 51 against, and 6 abstentions. The resolution condemns using sanctions and economic pressure outside UN mandates as coercive tools against sovereign nations.
- Although majority support came from developing and Global South nations, opposition came from the United States, European Union members, Australia, Canada, Japan, and others citing concerns about politicisation and resource diversion within the UN framework.
- The new observance highlights how unilateral coercive measures—such as sanctions, tariffs, or banking restrictions—can violate human rights, disrupt economic development, and undermine international rule of law. China, Belarus, and others emphasized its role in supporting multilateral governance and fairness.
Main Point :- (i) Within the same UNGA session, 34 member states were elected to UNCITRAL for a six-year term (2025–2031). These include a mix of African, Asian–Pacific, Eastern European, and Latin American countries. This commission develops harmonised frameworks for international trade law.
(ii) Notable elected UNCITRAL members include Zambia (Africa), Sri Lanka and Vietnam (Asia‑Pacific), Russia (Eastern Europe), and others like Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, China, and South Korea—strengthening global legal cooperation.
(iii) The observance reinforces UN norms against unilateral economic coercion as a human rights and development issue. Meanwhile, UNCITRAL’s newly elected members will drive harmonisation of trade laws, dispute resolution frameworks, and legal aid, especially benefiting developing and least-developed countries.
About UNGA
President: Annalena Baerbock
Headquarters: New York
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