Reader-submitted stories

Draft UN Resolution Imposing Sanctions Against the DPRK

Submitted on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 (1:36 a.m.)

Submitted by shukhrat

by Shukhrat Khakimov.

Permanent members of UN Security Council (Russia, United States, China, France, United Kingdom), as well as Japan and South Korea, after two and a half weeks of negotiations produced a draft resolution imposing sanctions against the DPRK, and contributed a paper on Wednesday by the SC as a whole.

The draft states that the Security Council "condemns in the strongest terms" the nuclear tests by North Korea May 25, 2009 "in violation of, and in blatant disregard of its relevant resolutions." The text also stated that the DPRK, in any case can not have the status of nuclear weapons, in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The project, if adopted by the Security Council, former tighten sanctions against the DPRK, and introduce new ones, including the tough measure as an opportunity to inspect ships, including the high seas, but only with the consent of the State, the flag.

It contains requirements for North Korea to immediately and fully fulfill its obligations under previous resolutions (especially on the UN Security Council resolution 1718, adopted in October 2006 in response to the first nuclear test), and not to conduct nuclear tests or follow-up of launches from use of ballistic technology, to suspend all activities related to ballistic missile program, and in this context re-establish before these commitments to a moratorium on missile launching.

In addition, the draft contains a requirement for Pyongyang to give up the announcement of withdrawal from the NPT, to renounce nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and to cease all actions pertaining thereto.

The most pressing issue, which, according to diplomats, led to many disputes in the Security Council, was searched on the high seas of vessels in respect of which raises a reasonable suspicion in the carriage of goods, contributing to a nuclear or missile program of North Korea. United States and Japan has long insisted that such an inspection in the high seas were binding. In this regard, they insisted on the language of "The Security Council demands" or "The Security Council decides that the Member States should be." Against this were China and Russia.

The final version of the draft remained compromise formula. list of such products have already been defined in the UN Security Council resolution 1718, adopted in October 2006 in response to the first nuclear test North Korea. The ban relates to tanks, armored combat vehicles, large caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles or missile systems or related materiel including spare parts.

In addition, in the project are talking about other items, materials, equipment and technologies that could contribute to North Korea relating to nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles or other weapons of mass destruction. Under the ban, and are luxuries. According to a new project in the list are also all other types of weapons with the exception of small arms and light weapons and related materials - such as ammunition and spare parts. In practice, this means that North Korea is allowed to purchase only pistols rifles, machine guns, machine guns, light mortars and grenade launchers. In addition, we introduce a complete ban on the export of arms from North Korea.

The inspections of suspicious cargo at ports, airports, border crossings and other locations in the territory of the UN member states, provided as a separate sanction. The point is that in case of suspicion should be checked, all goods going in and out of the DPRK, through the territories of other countries.

The resolution provides for a number of financial considerations. In particular, the draft calls for the prevention of the financing activities related to nuclear or ballistic missile program of North Korea, but also warns of grants, financial aid, concessional loans for any purpose (except only for humanitarian projects and projects aimed specifically at the needs of the civilian population). In addition, it is decided to expand the list of goods and DPRK organizations that are subject to sanctions under Security Council resolution 1718.

Shukhrat Khakimov