A/HRC/45/7 B. Recommendations 105. All States and international organizations should work together to guarantee that human rights are not violated by unilateral sanctions. Any progress in the area can only be achieved if actions taken are based on the principles of consensus, solidarity, observance of the rule of law, legitimacy, necessity, proportionality and protection of human rights, especially the rights of women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable categories of the population. No double standards can ever be applied. 106. All national legislation, policies and practices on the introduction and implementation of unilateral sanctions should reflect the principles of legality, legitimacy, necessity, proportionality and protection of human rights, especially the rights of women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable categories of the population. Laws, policies and practices should be precise, clear and transparent to avoid mistaken identification, confusion about the legal regime or mechanisms of humanitarian exemptions or overcompliance. 107. Regardless of the grounds and purposes for introducing unilateral sanctions, humanitarian concerns should always be taken into account. Sanctions, even when implemented for legitimate purposes, must comply with human rights standards, protect the fundamental rights to life, liberty and personal security, to due process and the presumption of innocence, and to freedom from suffering, as well as essential core economic, social and cultural rights, and include relevant humanitarian exemptions and procedural safeguards. 108. The United Nations should exercise full control over the legality of unilateral measures and pay special attention to the expanding use of unilateral measures, which do not formally constitute sanctions against States but the cumulative effect of which is equivalent to or at least compatible with that of comprehensive sanctions. 109. All States and international organizations should ensure that the basic needs of the population are met, including in times of emergency, irrespective of the nature of the emergency. Under no circumstances should trade in humanitarian goods and commodities, such as medical equipment, its component parts, software, medicines, protective kits and food, be subject to any form of direct or indirect unilateral sanction. Accordingly, any impediment to such trade, including impediments to financial transactions, the transfer of currencies or credit documents and transportation, should be removed. 110. States and international organizations are urged to review and minimize the whole scope of unilateral sanctions in full compliance with obligations arising from the Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as other international obligations, to guarantee that the rule of law is observed in the international arena and to enable sanctioned States to recover economically and to guarantee the well-being of their people in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 19