North Korea’s Stance on UN Sanctions Monitoring
North Korea’s envoy to the United Nations, Kim Song, has expressed skepticism about the establishment of a new panel to monitor sanctions against his country. This comes in the wake of Russia’s veto in March, which effectively halted official UN monitoring of sanctions imposed on North Korea for its prohibited nuclear and weapons programs.
Background
Seoul and Washington have raised concerns about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un allegedly sending weapons to Russia, potentially in exchange for technical support for Pyongyang’s spy satellite initiative. Despite facing UN sanctions since 2006 and warnings from the US and South Korea, North Korea conducted a significant number of missile tests last year, asserting its status as a nuclear weapons state.
North Korea’s Response
In response to the potential formation of new expert panels to monitor sanctions, Kim Song stated, “The hostile forces may set up the second and third expert panels in the future but they are all bound to meet self-destruction with the passage of time.” He emphasized that the dissolution of the previous UN panel following Russia’s veto was a historical judgment on an organization that aimed to undermine North Korea’s sovereignty.
The envoy also expressed appreciation towards Russia for vetoing the renewal of the expert sanctions panel, citing it as a demonstration of international justice and impartiality.
International Collaboration
During a visit to Seoul in April, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted the importance of enforcing sanctions on North Korea. She mentioned ongoing collaboration with Seoul, Tokyo, and other partners to explore innovative approaches and unconventional strategies to ensure continued monitoring activities.
Thomas-Greenfield stressed, “We cannot allow the work that the panel of experts were doing to lapse,” underscoring the significance of maintaining vigilance in monitoring North Korea’s adherence to sanctions.