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World Powers Agree on UN Sanctions Against North Korea

By VOA News
11 June 2009

Seven world powers on Wednesday agreed on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution to expand sanctions against North Korea for its recent underground nuclear test and a barrage of missile tests.

The draft resolution condemns North Korea's tests as a violation of previous U.N. resolutions and imposes additional sanctions, including cargo inspections, a total arms embargo, and stronger financial sanctions. China reportedly resisted making the cargo provision mandatory.

The text is the product of weeks of intensive negotiations among the five permanent council members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States- as well as non-permanent member Japan and concerned neighbor South Korea.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, who led the negotiations and presented the draft to the full 15-member council, said the proposed resolution sends a "very strong, very credible and very appropriate" response to Pyongyang's actions.

The draft resolution is now in the hands of the other nine council members, who will review the document with their governments. The full Security Council is expected to put the resolution to a vote before the end of this week.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the draft is good, balanced and well-targeted. He said that although no member likes to sanction another, it is necessary in this case because North Korea poses a real nuclear risk.

U.S. officials have indicated that Washington may also impose unilateral financial sanctions against North Korea.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Brussels Thursday it does not appear the regime is making preparations to launch a military strike in retaliation to the proposed U.N. sanctions, despite Pyongyang's previous threats.

But Gates says North Korea's unpredictable nature makes it impossible to dismiss the threats.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.