Controversy over North Korea sanctions panel’s decision to extend sanctions
Russia rejects ‘Ukraine war weapons needed’
Surveillance agency virtually disbanded after 15 years
US: “Serious concerns about peace on the Korean Peninsula”
UN: Security Council sanctions will continue
Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia, who voted against the resolution to extend the term of office of the expert panel at the UN Security Council meeting on the 28th (local time), is speaking at the Security Council. [로이터=연합뉴스]
The extension of the term of office of the UN Security Council’s panel of experts monitoring the implementation of sanctions against North Korea was rejected due to Russia’s veto. As virtually the only agency that monitors and issues reports with public confidence on the implementation of sanctions against North Korea was disbanded after 15 years, the international community’s concerns have grown that North Korea may be focusing more on developing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The United States strongly criticized Russia, saying it used its veto to cover up illegal arms imports from North Korea.
The UN Security Council voted on a resolution to extend the term of the expert panel under the North Korea Sanctions Committee at the UN Headquarters in New York on the 28th (local time), and it was rejected with 13 countries in favor, 1 country against (Russia), and 1 country abstaining (China). For a Security Council resolution to pass, it must receive the approval of at least nine of the 15 Security Council members, and none of the five permanent members, including the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, must exercise a veto.
Russia, a permanent member of the council, objected on the grounds that sanctions against North Korea had been introduced a long time ago, so its proposal to revise the sanctions was not accepted.
However, diplomats around the UN believe that Russia recently disbanded the North Korea sanctions expert panel, which was a ‘thorn in its eyes’, as it imported large quantities of weapons needed for the war in Ukraine from North Korea. The UN Security Council decided to ban trade in North Korean weapons through a resolution on sanctions against North Korea adopted after North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006. Russia’s import of North Korean weapons is a violation of legally binding Security Council resolutions.
Accordingly, the West, including Korea and the United States, strongly criticized Russia, which caused this rejection result.
“Today’s reckless action further undermines the very important sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations Security Council to respond to North Korea’s multiple nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches,” John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) national security communications adviser, said in a briefing on this day. “I order it,” he said.
He said, “Russia has been violating sanctions against North Korea for some time, including by importing weapons (from North Korea) to be used in an illegal war with Ukraine,” and added, “Deepening North Korea-Russia military cooperation is a priority for all interested in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.” “It is an issue that the country should be very concerned about,” he emphasized.
UN Ambassador Hwang Joon-guk is strongly criticizing Russia for exercising its veto power at the UN Headquarters in New York on the 28th (local time) after the extension of the term of the expert panel on North Korea sanctions was rejected by the UN Security Council. [사진=유엔 웹TV 캡처]
Immediately after the vote, UN Ambassador Hwang Joon-guk lamented, “This decision is absurd and shocking as it was made at a time when North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and missiles is progressing,” adding, “This is a similar situation to removing CCTV while committing a crime.”
The expert panel was established in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution adopted after North Korea’s second nuclear test in 2009. The eight-member expert panel collects and analyzes information related to the implementation of sanctions against North Korea from UN member states, and submits a report on the implementation of sanctions against North Korea to the Sanctions Committee twice a year.
The annual panel report published this month included detailed photos of Russia’s arms trade with North Korea in violation of sanctions against North Korea. Considering that the arms trade between Russia and North Korea has been intensive over the past six months, it was expected that the next panel report would contain more explicit details of the arms trade.
However, if the panel term extension proposal is rejected this time, the panel’s term will end on April 30. UN reports containing violations of sanctions against North Korea can no longer be published.
In relation to this, the UN emphasized that the expert panel under the Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee has ended its activities, saying, “The North Korea Sanctions Committee will continue and will continue to play a role in monitoring the implementation of the sanctions regime.”
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said in a briefing that day, “It is important for the Security Council members and member countries of the North Korea Sanctions Committee to take appropriate action to maintain all Security Council sanctions, including sanctions against North Korea.”
However, regarding Russia’s exercise of the veto that day, he said, “The five permanent members of the Security Council exercise the veto when they deem it necessary,” and added, “The UN Secretary-General has no role to play in this matter.”
UN Ambassador Pascal Berisville of Switzerland, the chair of the Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee, also held a press conference that day and said, “The North Korea Sanctions Committee can receive analysis and support from independent experts to implement sanctions, so it must seek alternatives to meet these demands.” “He emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea also issued a statement under the name of its spokesperson on this day, saying, “At a time when the UN’s monitoring function for implementing sanctions against North Korea needs to be further strengthened, Russia, a permanent member, is opposing the UN sanctions regime, which it has defended on its own while going against the overall will of the Security Council members. “They chose irresponsible actions that greatly undermined the international community’s trust in the Security Council,” he criticized.
Meanwhile, China’s deputy envoy to the United Nations Geng Shuang, who abstained, said in a speech after the UN Security Council vote that day, “We have highly valued and actively supported Russia’s proposal to set a deadline for sanctions against North Korea and to regularly review them,” and added, “It is unfortunate that Russia is acting like this.” He stated his reason for abstention, saying, “Our opinion was not adopted.”
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2024-03-29 21:23:42
