UNSC Members Agree on Tougher Sanctions on North Korea
The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) have agreed, after two weeks of hard negotiations, on a new draft resolution that seeks to impose strict sanctions against North Korea for carrying out second nuclear test ignoring warnings from world community, said diplomats.
The resolution, likely to go to vote on Friday, clearly says that even Pyongyang’s friends like China and Russia disapprove of its nuclear ambitions and want to put a stop to it.
The new resolution provides for inspection of North’s cargo vessels on high seas and expansion arms embargo against it, besides cutting financial dealings of Pyongyang with outside world and freezing the assets of the secluded nations.
“It is important for there to be consequences and this sanctions regime, if passed by the Security Council, will bite and bite in a meaningful way,” US Ambassador to the UN Susan E Rice said.
It should be noted that past sanctions have been unsuccessful in persuading North Korea to forgo its nuclear programme.
The resolution, enjoying the support of South Korea, Japan and other major member nations, flays the May 25 underground nuke test carried out by North Korea, insists on immediate suspension of Pyongyang’s ballistic missile programme and calls for joining NPT.
Despite conceding that “sanctions and things like that is not our choice,” Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly I Churkin said that regardless, “a certain political message must be sent and some measures must be taken because we are facing a very real situation of proliferation risks.”
