UN Security Council tightens sanctions on North Korea

The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday in response to the country’s latest nuclear test conducted in September. The highly technical resolution, which was negotiated between mainly the US and China over 12 weeks, aims to close loopholes in the already tough sanctions passed in March. UN […]

The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday in response to the country’s latest nuclear test conducted in September.

The highly technical resolution, which was negotiated between mainly the US and China over 12 weeks, aims to close loopholes in the already tough sanctions passed in March.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the Security Council has taken "a strong action" by passing the toughest sanctions yet against North Korea.

The resolution condemning the reclusive regime’s fifth nuclear test aims to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons by further tightening measures to block funding and stop the procurement of parts and technology.

The latest sanctions, which are the sixth round since 2006, ban the sale of copper, nickel, silver and zinc by North Korea and further restricts its export of coal and iron by specifying that those sales can serve exclusively "livelihood purposes" of North Korean people.

The new measures on North Korea’s coal trade alone is expected to decrease the country’s trade revenue by one-fourth equalling 700 million dollars annually.

The resolution also prohibits countries from buying statues and helicopters from North Korea.

North Korea is a major exporter of monuments, including a statue of Congolese President Joseph Kabila that currently stands in Kinshasa and two statues of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, which the long-serving leader has ordered for 5 million dollars to be stood up after his death.

Targeting the wealthy leadership of the impoverished country, the text designates rugs and tapestries over 500 dollars and porcelain tableware worth over 100 dollars as luxury goods that countries cannot sell to North Korea.

The resolution also zeroes in on the country’s diplomatic missions, calling on UN member states to reduce the number of North Korean diplomatic staffers and limit the number of bank accounts the missions and their diplomats can open to one each.

This is the second round of sanctions imposed on the North Korean regime by the council this year. In March, the 15-member council put stiff economic sanctions in place following a nuclear test in January. (DPA)