Tough United Nations sanctions imposed on Pyongyang

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted on Wednesday the toughest sanctions ever imposed on North Korea in response to its fourth nuclear test and rocket launch.

The 15-member council passed a resolution drafted by the United States and backed by China, Pyongyang’s sole ally, that was seen as a major shift in the approach to North Korea’s provocative actions.

US President Barack Obama said the package of broad measures were “a firm, united, and appropriate response by the international community” to the January 6 nuclear test and February 7 rocket launch.

“The international community, speaking with one voice, has sent Pyongyang a simple message: North Korea must abandon these dangerous programs and choose a better path for its people,” Mr Obama said in a statement.

The resolution requires countries to take the unprecedented step of inspecting all cargo to and from North Korea, impose trade restrictions and bar vessels suspected of carrying illegal goods for North Korea from ports.

It provides for a ban on exports of coal, iron and iron ore, gold, titanium and rare earth minerals from North Korea, and prohibits the supply of aviation fuel including rocket fuel to the reclusive country.

Banking restrictions will be tightened and governments will be required to ban flights of any plane suspected of carrying contraband destined for North Korea.

“These are among the toughest measures we have agreed against any country in the world, certainly the toughest ever against the DPRK” (North Korea), said British ambassador Matthew Rycroft.

“This marks a significant shift on the Security Council as a whole,” he said.

Under the measure, UN member states will expel North Korean diplomats engaged in smuggling or other illegal activities.

A total of 16 individuals and 12 entities were added to a UN sanctions blacklist, including North Korea’s NADA space agency and its spy agency, the Reconnaissance Gene-ral Bureau.

Luxury watches, snowmobiles, recreational watercraft such as Sea-Doos and sports equipment will also be banned from sale to North Korea, building on a previous resolution targeting Pyongyang’s elites.

Japan’s ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa described the resolution as “ground-breaking” but stressed that sanctions were “not the final objective”.

“Depending on the behaviour and attitude of the DPRK, the security council is prepared to suspend or lift sanctions,” he added.

It took seven weeks of tough negotiations for the United States and China to come to agreement on the package of measures, but its impact will depend largely on how Beijing implements the sanctions.