South Korea has pledged to continue strict enforcement of United Nations sanctions on North Korea, despite the upcoming dissolution of the U.N. panel responsible for monitoring these sanctions. This follows Russia's veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution aimed at extending the panel's mandate for another year.
This development was reported by Yonhap.
Continued Sanctions Enforcement
The U.N. Panel of Experts, crucial in monitoring North Korea's adherence to international sanctions concerning its illicit weapons programs, will cease operations on Tuesday (New York time) after Russia vetoed the renewal of its mandate. China, another permanent member of the UNSC with veto power, abstained from the vote.
Lim Soo-suk, the spokesperson for South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, assured in a briefing that while the monitoring panel will cease to exist, the sanctions committee focused on North Korea remains active.
"The government will intensify efforts to ensure the implementation of the UNSC sanctions resolutions on North Korea, in close coordination with the international community," Lim stated.
Seeking New Mechanisms for Monitoring
In response to the panel's dissolution, South Korea is actively seeking alternative monitoring mechanisms. This includes discussions with allied nations to create a more effective system for overseeing the enforcement of sanctions. Lim emphasized that these efforts would build on the existing framework and address the new challenges brought by the panel's termination.
Monitoring North Korea's compliance remains a critical concern internationally.
During a recent visit to South Korea, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield engaged with South Korean officials on this issue. She underscored the United States' commitment to collaborating closely with South Korea to devise "creative" and "out of the box" solutions that could function effectively even beyond the traditional U.N. framework.
