Russia vetoes DPRK sanctions oversight resolution; calls for review
3 Min Read
According to Russia's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia, without an annual review to evaluate and potentially adjust the sanctions, maintaining the panel of experts is deemed unwarranted.
-
Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia speaks during the Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (AP)
Russia on Thursday exercised its veto power to block a Security Council resolution aimed at overseeing UN sanctions imposed on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Since 2006, the DPRK government has faced extensive sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council over its nuclear program. For the past four years, Russia and China have been actively pushing for the Security Council to ease the sanctions, which currently lack an expiration date.
Moscow's veto at the Security Council doesn't terminate the sanctions but prevents the council from renewing the yearly mandate for a panel of experts responsible for monitoring the implementation of sanctions and investigating numerous alleged violations.
According to Russia's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia, without an annual review to evaluate and potentially adjust the sanctions, maintaining the panel of experts is deemed unwarranted.
"The panel has continued to focus on trivial matters that are not commensurate with the problems facing the peninsula," Nebenzia said. "Russia has called for the council to adopt a decision to hold an open and honest review of the Council sanctions... on an annual basis."
Read more: DPRK says Japanese Prime Minister sought summit with Kim Jong Un
Recent news reports have alleged that the DPRK was developing weapons and missiles to assist Russia in its special military operation in Ukraine. Russia has rejected the allegations, noting that such assumptions are a complete fabrication and that Moscow has the right to develop friendly relations with its neighbors.
In its latest report released at the start of March, the sanctions panel stated that the DPRK persisted in violating sanctions, such as launching ballistic missiles and exceeding oil import restrictions. It further mentioned ongoing investigations into allegations of arms shipments from Pyongyang to Russia for potential use in Ukraine.
"This veto does not demonstrate any concern for North Korean people or for the efficacy of sanctions," said Britain's UN ambassador Barbara Woodward.
"It is about Russia, gaining the freedom to evade and breach sanctions in pursuit of weapons to be used against Ukraine."
Ten Security Council members, including Britain, France, and the United States, issued a joint statement to defend the work of the sanction monitors.
"In the face of these repeated attempts to undermine international peace and security, the panel's work is more important now than ever before," it said.
Read more: DPRK's Kim oversees 'super-large' rocket launcher drills: State media
