A/RES/80/120 GA

United Nations A/RES/80/120 General Assembly Distr.: General 18 December 2025 25-20732 (E) *2520732* Eightieth session Agenda item 16 (a) Macroeconomic policy questions: international trade and development Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 15 December 2025 [on the report of the Second Committee (A/80/555, para. 7)] 80/120. Unilateral economic measures as a means of political and economic coercion against developing countries The General Assembly, Recalling the relevant principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,1 which states, inter alia, that no State may use or encourage the use of unilateral economic, political or any other type of measures to coerce another State in order to obtain from it the subordination of the exercise of its sovereign rights, Bearing in mind the general principles governing the international trading system and trade policies for development contained in relevant resolutions, rules and provisions of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, Recalling its resolutions 44/215 of 22 December 1989, 46/210 of 20 December 1991, 48/168 of 21 December 1993, 50/96 of 20 December 1995, 52/181 of 18 December 1997, 54/200 of 22 December 1999, 56/179 of 21 December 2001, 58/198 of 23 December 2003, 60/185 of 22 December 2005, 62/183 of 19 December 2007, 64/189 of 21 December 2009, 66/186 of 22 December 2011, 68/200 of 20 December 2013, 70/185 of 22 December 2015, 72/201 of 20 December 2017, 74/200 of 19 December 2019, 76/191 of 17 December 2021 and 78/135 of 19 December 2023, Recalling also paragraph 30 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,2 whereby States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international _______________ 1 Resolution 2625 (XXV), annex. 2 Resolution 70/1. A/RES/80/120 Unilateral economic measures as a means of political and economic coercion against developing countries 25-20732 2/3 law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries, Noting the adoption on 16 June 2025 of its resolution 79/293, in which the General Assembly proclaimed 4 December as the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures, to be observed annually, beginning in 2025, Gravely concerned that the use of unilateral coercive economic measures that are inconsistent with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations adversely affects the economies and the development efforts of developing countries in particular and has a general negative impact on international economic cooperation and on worldwide efforts to move towards a non‑discriminatory and open multilateral trading system, Recognizing that such measures constitute a flagrant violation of the principles of international law as set forth in the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the basic principles of the multilateral trading system, Taking note of the work of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights in documenting the impact of such measures on the economic and social development of developing countries targeted by these measures and on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, Considering that the continued enactment and application of unilateral economic, financial or trade measures that are inconsistent with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations have a negative impact on the capacity of targeted countries to recover from the persistent effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID‑19) pandemic, strengthen resilience to future shocks and pursue sustainable development, Recognizing that unilateral economic, financial or trade measures that are inconsistent with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations have a detrimental impact on all aspects of life in the targeted countries, including in access to food, clean water and sanitation, electricity, adequate medicine, medical equipment, prevention and control of diseases, training and up-to-date scientific knowledge, technologies and research, hampering the ability of the targeted countries to guarantee the well-being of their population, Recognizing also that trade restrictions, including tariffs inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules, principles and commitments, are on the rise globally amid rising trade tensions and stalling multilateral negotiations, undermining the global economy and sustainable development, especially in developing countries already affected by the impact of unilateral coercive measures, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;3 2. Urges the international community to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral economic, financial or trade measures that are not authorized by relevant organs of the United Nations, that are inconsistent with the principles of international law or the Charter of the United Nations or that contravene the basic principles of the multilateral trading system and that affect, in particular, but not exclusively, developing countries; 3. Recalls the Bridgetown Covenant, adopted at the fifteenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, held in Barbados from 3 to _______________ 3 A/80/415. Unilateral economic measures as a means of political and economic coercion against developing countries A/RES/80/120 3/3 25-20732 7 October 2021,4 in which States are strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, in the light of concerns over the constraining nature and development implications of such measures that negatively impact the well-being of the populations and can impede the full achievement of economic and social development in the concerned States, as well as impair their trade relations; 4. Calls upon the international community to condemn and reject the imposition of the use of such measures, as a means of political and economic coercion against developing countries that impedes the full achievement of economic and social development; 5. Recognizes that unilateral coercive economic measures that are inconsistent with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, constitute a significant obstacle to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries targeted by these measures; 6. Calls upon the international community to condemn and reject the imposition of unilateral coercive economic measures that are inconsistent with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, which impede the capacity of targeted countries to promote post-COVID‑19 pandemic recovery and that hamper international solidarity and medical cooperation for political or any other reasons; 7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue monitoring the imposition of unilateral economic measures as a means of political and economic coercion and studying, inter alia, with the support and cooperation of the resident coordinators and United Nations country teams, the impact of such measures on the affected countries, including the impact on trade and development; 8. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its eighty-second session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, with a particular focus on the impacts of unilateral economic measures on the achievement of sustainable development, including recommendations to address the impact of such measures on the affected countries; 9. Further requests the Secretary-General to include, in the aforementioned report, complementary findings and relevant evidence provided by United Nations country teams, through resident coordinators, subject to the host Governments’ consent to the sharing and inclusion of such information in their contributions. 64th plenary meeting 15 December 2025 _______________ 4 TD/541/Add.2.

UN Project. “A/RES/80/120.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-80-120/. Accessed .

Copy citation