A draft US resolution to strengthen sanctions against the DPRK will be submitted to the UN General Assembly in connection with the “ambiguous results of the vote in the Security Council.” This was announced on Thursday, May 26, by the Permanent Representative of Norway to the UN, Mona Juul.
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“We are aware that the General Assembly will now take this issue for discussion. And we expect that the UN Security Council will provide a special report on this issue for consideration by the General Assembly. We call on the secretariat to prepare such a report,” she said during a meeting of the Security Council.
Now the UN General Assembly is to meet within 10 days to discuss the issue.
On May 26, Russia and China used their veto power to block a draft American resolution that called for tougher sanctions against the DPRK.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the Russian Federation and China will have to explain their decision, which, according to her, allows the DPRK to carry out “provocations.” Also, the diplomat on behalf of Washington, Seoul and Tokyo called on the North Korean administration to cooperate.
The question of strengthening sanctions against Pyongyang was brought up for discussion by the UN Security Council against the backdrop of another missile test by the DPRK. So, North Korea on the morning of May 25 fired three ballistic missiles one after another towards the Sea of Japan. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, on behalf of the country, said that North Korea’s missile launches immediately after the visit of US President Joe Biden to Seoul and Tokyo can be considered a direct provocation.
In April, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to destroy any force attacking the country, and also pledged to build up and strengthen the state’s nuclear capabilities “at the fastest pace.”
On March 25, Washington said that the UN Security Council should consider increasing sanctions pressure on North Korea in connection with the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. US Permanent Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed the opinion that the UN Security Council should “condemn with one voice” Pyongyang’s dangerous actions.
Prior to this, on March 10, the United States expressed its readiness to impose new trade sanctions against the DPRK as a reaction to the next test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korea has conducted tests in the past two months that can be called a serious escalation that violates UN Security Council resolutions, the White House specified.