A/HRC/39/54 I. Introduction 1. The present report is the fourth annual report submitted to the Human Rights Council by the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, pursuant to his mandate, as set out in Council resolutions 27/21 and 36/10. 2. The Special Rapporteur would like to clarify at the outset that, while his mandate refers to “unilateral coercive measures”, understood as transnational, non-forcible coercive measures, other than those enacted by the Security Council acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, he uses loosely and interchangeably the expressions “unilateral coercive measures”, “unilateral sanctions”, “international sanctions” and simply “sanctions” in the present report. II. Overview of the activities of the Special Rapporteur 3. On 18 October 2017, the Special Rapporteur presented a report to the General Assembly (A/72/370). In the report, the Special Rapporteur reviewed developments regarding unilateral sanctions applied to certain countries and addressed certain aspects of the issue of extraterritoriality in relation to unilateral sanctions. 4. The Special Rapporteur carried out an official visit to the institutions of the European Union from 19 to 22 June 2017 (A/HRC/39/54/Add.1). At the end of his visit he praised the protections included in sanctions legislation, including due process measures for targeted persons, and the availability of remedies. He called upon the European Union to engage internationally to minimize the human rights impact of restrictive measures, including by engaging in negotiations for a declaration on unilateral coercive measures and the rule of law. 5. The Special Rapporteur also visited the Syrian Arab Republic from 13 to 17 May 2017 (A/HRC/39/54/Add.2). At the end of his visit, the Special Rapporteur expressed concern that the current regimes of multiple unilateral coercive measures had had the effect of blocking almost all trade with the country and in particular that it had harmed the ability of humanitarian non-governmental actors to carry out their work there. He called upon States to take action to ensure that legal humanitarian exemptions in sanctions regimes be made practical and effective in the Syrian Arab Republic. 6. On 27 June 2018, the Rapporteur made a presentation at a side event organized by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers entitled “Syria: a different perspective.” His intervention focused on the findings of his recent visit to the Syrian Arab Republic and he called for States to identify practical ways to lift the impact of unilateral coercive measures on humanitarian actors in the country. III. Recent developments regarding the use of unilateral sanctions 7. The past year has seen a number of significant developments regarding the use of unilateral sanctions against a number of countries. In addition to the detailed information relating to the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation set out in the present report, the Special Rapporteur provides a brief discussion of some recent events. Owing to restrictions on the length of the present report, further situations will be elaborated upon in his upcoming report to the General Assembly. Islamic Republic of Iran 8. The Special Rapporteur continues to monitor closely the worrying developments related to the unilateral sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran and expands below on the concerns arising from the withdrawal of the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He notes the recent application for contentious proceedings before the 3