North Korea: UN imposes fresh sanctions over missile tests – By BBC Staff (bbc.com) / Dec 22 2017
The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to its recent ballistic missile tests.
The US-drafted resolution includes measures to reduce the nation’s petrol imports by up to 90%.
China and Russia, North Korea’s main trading partners, voted in favour of the resolution.
The country is already subject to a raft of sanctions from the US, the UN and the EU.
Washington has been imposing sanctions on Pyongyang since 2008, freezing the assets of individuals and companies linked to its nuclear programme and banning the export of goods and services to the country.
The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the sanctions sent an “unambiguous message to Pyongyang that further defiance will invite further punishments and isolation”.
Chinese envoy Wu Haitao said the vote “reflects the unanimous position of the international community” on the issue of North Korea’s weapons programme.
US President Donald Trump also welcomed the resolution. He tweeted the world wanted “peace, not death”.
The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 in favor of additional Sanctions on North Korea. The World wants Peace, not Death!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017
What are the new sanctions?
Tensions have risen this year over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes, which it has pursued despite pressure from world powers to stop.
The Trump administration says it is seeking a diplomatic solution to the issue, and drafted this new set of sanctions:
- Deliveries of petrol products will be capped at 500,000 barrels a year, and crude oil at 4 million barrels a year
- All North Korean nationals working abroad will have to return home within 24 months under the proposals, restricting a vital source of foreign currency
- There will also be a ban on exports of North Korean goods, such as machinery and electrical equipment
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42459670
PB/TK – How in the world is anything left to sanction North Korea?
