The new resolution is in response to North Korea’s latest nuclear test in January and its rocket launch the following month using ballistic missile technology, both of which are banned for the country under past resolutions.
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The council had initially planned to vote yesterday, but the meeting was delayed at Russia’s request.
But China, Pyongyang’s neighbour, was reluctant to impose measures that could threaten the stability of North Korea and cause its economy to collapse.
The draft, seen by Reuters, would require United Nations member states to conduct mandatory inspections of all cargo passing through their territory to or from North Korea to look for illicit goods. In spite of this, due to a required procedural review of the resolution invoked by Russian Federation, the vote was delayed for a day.
The annex lists 16 individuals and 12 entities to be hit by an assets freeze and travel ban, including North Korea’s NADA space agency and its spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau.
Diplomats said they expected Russian Federation to back the measure following what Japanese Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa said were “minor technical changes” to the draft resolution.
It took seven weeks of tough negotiations for the United States and China to come to agreement on the package of measures.
In his statement to the Council, Mr Ri also accused the United States and others of paying “so-called North Korean defectors” for their testimony.
It called the proposed sanctions “a wanton infringement on (North Korea’s) sovereignty and grave challenge to it”.
The official North Korean news agency KCNA said in a commentary on Monday its “position as a satellite manufacturer and launcher will never change (and)… space development is not something to be given up because of someone’s “sanctions”.
– States will bar the leasing or chartering flagged vessels or aircraft to North Korea.
Right after North Korea’s first nuclear test, the security council adopted a resolution to impose sanctions on Pyongyang and set up a sanctions committee.
Japan and South Korea are drafting a resolution for debate at the ongoing four-week session to renew the mandate of the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, now Marzuki Darusman, and may seek further steps.
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Taking a hard line, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said North Korea must pay the price for its latest nuclear test and rocket launch.
