AP: 26 countries urge Western sanctions lifting to tackle virus
“China and 25 other nations on Monday called for the immediate lifting of sanctions by the United States and Western countries to ensure an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking on behalf of the 26 countries at a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly’s human rights committee, China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said ‘unilateral coercive measures’ violate the U.N. Charter, multilateralism, and impede human rights by hindering ‘the well-being of the population in the affected countries’ and undermining the right to health. … Among the countries that backed the statement were half a dozen that face sanctions by the United States, European Union, or other Western nations including Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela…” (Lederer, 10/6).