• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > World

UN Passes Resolution To Expand North Korea Blacklist

  • The United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution to expand its North Korea blacklist in New York, U.S., on June 2, 2017.

    The United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution to expand its North Korea blacklist in New York, U.S., on June 2, 2017. | Photo: Reuters

Published 3 June 2017
Opinion

Measure is the first be agreed by the U.S. and China since President Donald Trump took office. 

The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously on Friday to expand targeted sanctions against North Korea after its repeated missile tests. 

RELATED: UN Ready to Impose Further Sanctions on North Korea

Fourteen individuals and four entities linked to Pyongyang´s nuclear and missile programs were added to the U.N. blacklist, which imposes a global travel ban and asset freeze.  

The resolution also condemned North Korea's nuclear and ballistic activities "in the strongest terms" and reaffirmed the Security Council's demand that Pyongyang abandon all nuclear weapons and programs and halt all nuclear and missile tests.

Among those named are the Koryo Bank, the Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People's Army and the head of Pyongyang's overseas spying operations.

"The Security Council is sending a clear message to North Korea today - stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences," U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said after the vote.

“Beyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract North Korean aggression through other means, if necessary,” she added.

The U.N. Security Council first imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear program. Pyongyang had launched several ballistic missiles this year, including one short-range missile on Monday. It is also is threatening a sixth nuclear test.

The measure adopted on Friday was the first such resolution agreed by the United States and China since President Donald Trump took office.

Traditionally, the United States and China have negotiated new sanctions before involving the other council members.

The Trump administration has been pressing China, Pyongyang's only major ally, aggressively to do more on North Korea.

Chinese U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi said that the resolution reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and northeast Asia.

"There is a critical window of opportunity for the nuclear issue of the peninsula to come back to the right track of seeking a settlement through dialogue and negotiations," Liu told the council.

"It is incumbent on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to do more to help ease the tension and build mutual trust."

However, the resolution did not contain some of the stronger sanctions that Trump administration had floated last month, such as oil embargo, a ban on Pyongyang's airline or tougher economic sanctions. 

China's Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that China is opposed to Pyongyang's missile launches and will support any new United Nations sanctions against the country.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.