US and Asia allies push for new panel to monitor North Korea sanctions
17 April, 2024
Three Reuters sources said on Wednesday (Apr 17) that the US, South Korea, and Japan are pushing for a new multi-national panel of experts, possibly outside the UN, to ensure sanctions enforcement against North Korea after Russia and China thwarted monitoring activities at the world body.
The US, South Korea, and Japan seek a new multinational panel outside the UN to enforce sanctions against North Korea, following Russia and China's obstruction. This move aims to continue monitoring efforts and counter-sanction evasion, potentially involving countries like Australia and New Zealand.
The push came after Russia rejected the annual renewal of the UN panel of experts that have, over the past 15 years, monitoring the implementation of sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. China abstained from the vote.
The sources said anonymously due to diplomatic sensitivity that the envisioned new panel is aimed at continuing the UN entity's work. It would be operated by Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo and joined by like-minded countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and some European countries.
"The UN panel had faced some difficulties as Chinese and Russian members often tried to water down North Korea's suspected sanctions evasion," a senior South Korean government official said. Such a team would likely lack the international legitimacy granted to a UN-backed operation, but would be able to monitor North Korea more effectively, the official said.
Seoul would prefer to launch the mechanism among allies and friends. Still, there is a possibility that they will seek formal endorsement through the UN General Assembly (UNGA), another senior official said.
A third source said the team might also be mandated to monitor the implementation of resolutions on North Korea's human rights situation adopted by the Security Council, the UNGA, and the UN Human Rights Council.
When asked on Wednesday about creating a new panel of experts, US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she would engage with South Korea and Japan to "develop options both inside and outside the UN."
She told a news conference in Seoul, "The point here is that we cannot allow the work that the panel of experts was doing to lapse."
Moscow and Beijing have called for sanctions on North Korea to be reduced as a way to jumpstart diplomatic negotiations and ease humanitarian suffering in the impoverished nation.
Thomas-Greenfield, visiting the heavily armed Korean border on Tuesday, urged Russia and China to reverse course and stop rewarding North Korea's bad behavior and shielding it from sanctions-evading activities.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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