A/HRC/22/56 Table 6 2. Economic sanctions 72. The Special Rapporteur joins the Secretary-General in reiterating his concern for the potentially negative humanitarian effect of general economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran.71 In its general comment No. 8, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights pointed out that the inhabitants of a given country do not forfeit their basic economic, social and cultural rights by virtue of any determination that their leaders have violated norms relating to international peace and security.72 The Committee also stated that the imposition of international sanctions does not in any way nullify or diminish the obligations of a State party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to do its utmost to ensure that every individual, without discrimination, enjoys the rights stipulated by the Covenant and to seek measures to protect vulnerable groups. 73 73. Furthermore, the Committee makes clear that imposing sanctions bestows obligations upon the imposing parties to respect the economic and social rights of the sanctioned country’s population.74 Principles introduced in a 1995 non-paper on the humanitarian impact of sanctions submitted to the Security Council by the five Permanent Members thereof called for “unimpeded access to humanitarian aid” within the targeted country and for monitoring the humanitarian effects of sanctions, while a letter addressed to the Council by the Secretary-General urged sanctions regimes to account for human rights and humanitarian standards.75 74. While the Special Rapporteur takes note of the efforts made by parties imposing sanctions, including the “humanitarian exemptions” to exempt foodstuffs, medical supplies and other humanitarian goods from the sanctions, reports of shortages of the drugs used in the treatment of illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, haemophilia and multiple sclerosis give rise to concerns that such exemptions might not always meet their intended purpose.76 In the 71 72 73 74 75 76 22 A/67/327. E/C.12/1997/8, para. 16. Ibid., para. 10. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/33. See S/1995/300. See “What the women say: Killing them softly: the stark impact of sancions on the lives of ordinary Iranians”, International Civil Society Action Network, Brief 3: July 2012 (available from http://www.icanpeacework.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/WWS-Iran-Killing-Them-Softly-2013Edit.pdf; Saeed Kamali Dehghan, “Haemophiliac Iranian boy 'dies after sanctions disrupt medicine supplies’”, Guardian, 14 November 2012 (available from www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/14/sanctions-stop-medicines-reaching-sick-iranians); Thomas Erdbrink, “Iran Sanctions Take Unexpected Toll on Medical Imports”, New York Times, 2 November 2012 (available from www.nytimes.com/2012/11/03/world/middleeast/iran-sanctions-take-toll-on-medicalimports.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&); and Arshad Mohammed, “Of diapers and drugs, Iran's trouble paying bills”,