The vote on the resolution, drafted by the United States and North Korea’s number one ally, China, during the council’s first meeting of the year, was delayed after Russian Federation sought more time to review it and suggest changes.
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The U.S. asked that the vote be held after the council meets to discuss its program for March starting at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT).
The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve broad new sanctions against North Korea in response to its recent nuclear and missile tests. DPRK stands for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
There is also an unprecedented ban on the transfer to North Korea of any item that could directly contribute to the operational capabilities of its armed forces, such as trucks that could be modified for military purposes.
North Korea must pay the price for its latest nuclear test and rocket launch, South Korean President Park Geun Hye said, vowing to pressure Pyongyang into accepting denuclearization as its only viable option for survival.
The resolution aims to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang to curb the country’s nuclear programme.
The sanctions would be the first to require North Korean cargo ships and aircraft to be inspected before entering and after leaving the reclusive country.
The new draft would expand the list of banned items – adding luxury items such as expensive watches, snowmobiles, recreational water vehicles and lead crystal.
On January 6, Pyongyang said it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test which triggered a wave of condemnation from the global community. It would also ban aviation fuel exports to the country, including “kerosene-type rocket fuel”.
North Korea will “never, ever be bound” by worldwide resolutions that criticize its human rights record, its foreign minister declared Tuesday, ripping into deadly gun violence in the United States and highlighting alleged rights violations against refugees who are pouring into Europe to flee violence at home.
“If the North Korea nuclear problem persists, South Korea can only accept US demands to deploy THAAD”, he said. The people and companies are believed to be facilitators for North Korea’s weapons programs.
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Also new, countries will be required, not just encouraged, to freeze the assets of North Korean entities linked to Pyongyang’s nuclear or missile programs and to prohibit the opening of new branches or offices of North Korean banks or to engage in banking correspondence with them.
