Security Council Takes Tough Measures Against North Korea
The Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted measures against North Korea that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described as “the toughest and most comprehensive sanctions regime ever” against that country.
These measures are in response to the nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) or North Korea on 9 September.
Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member Council reaffirmed that North Korea should not conduct any further nuclear tests, launches using ballistic missile technology, or any other provocation.
The sanctions target revenue sources for the North-east Asian country’s nuclear or ballistic missile programmes, with the Council for the first time imposing a limit on how much coal the DPRK can export per year.
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According to the resolution, total exports of coal from the DPRK to all Member States should not exceed $400 million or 7.5 million metric tonnes annually, whichever is lower, beginning January 1, 2017. For the remainder of this year, the ceiling is $53.4 million, or one million metric tonnes.
Further to the text, each Member State that procures coal from the DPRK must report the aggregate amount of the volume of such procurement monthly.
When 95 per cent of the aggregate yearly amount has been reached, Member States will be notified that they must immediately cease procuring coal from the DPRK for the year.
This year, the Council has met on nine occasions in emergency consultations in response to the DPRK’s nuclear tests and ballistic missile activities.
According to the UN, the resolution adopted Wednesday took nearly three months to materialize, following the nuclear test in September.
The resolution also contains additional measures aimed to further restrict the DPRK’s hard currency revenues, and the activities of the DPRK’s diplomats and other officials.
