A vote on the resolution, drafted by the USA and China, has been held up for several days by Russian Federation which asked for more time to study the lengthy text and reportedly suggested some changes.
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Diplomats said the vote is now planned for 10 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday.
In spite of this, due to a required procedural review of the resolution invoked by Russian Federation, the vote was delayed for a day.
Both tests are banned under a series of United Nations resolutions that condemn North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs as a threat to world peace and security.
The final draft, obtained by The Associated Press, would eliminate loopholes in previous sanctions resolutions and impose new ones.
US Ambassador Samantha Power said that adoption of the resolution would send “an unambiguous and unyielding message” to North Korea.
– Lists 31 vessels operated by the sanctions-hit North Korean shipping company Ocean Maritime Management (OMM).
The draft resolution would require mandatory inspections for every United Nations member of all cargo involved in any convoy passing through North Korea’s territory.
– Bans exports of coal, iron and iron ore from North Korea, except if used for “livelihood purposes” in North Korea and not related to Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile program.
“The United States, South Korea and Japan have stopped outsourcing to China their policy on North Korea”, said Roberta Cohen, an expert on North Korea at the Brookings Institution. Over the past 20 years, DPRK has conducted four nuclear tests and launched six long-range rockets, all in violation of Security Council resolutions. Luxury goods banned from export to North Korea would grow to include watches, yachts and snowmobiles.
“For the last half-century all China did to influence North Korea was to provide unconditional aid, with no strings attached”, Qiao told Hong Kong’s Zijing magazine.
“Lavrov pointed out that the global community’s reaction should be firm and aimed at cutting off the channels supplying North Korea’s nuclear missile programs but apart from that should take into consideration the current hard humanitarian situation in that country and so should not inflict any damage on foreign partners’ legitimate ties with it (North Korea) in civilian sectors of the economy”, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said, according to the TASS news agency.
North Korea has ignored many demands, and tried to circumvent others.
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The council made a decision to impose new measures on North Korea after it carried out its fourth nuclear test on 6 January and test-fired a rocket on 7 February.
