The United Nations Security Council on Monday unanimously decided to impose fresh restrictions on North Korea, in response to the isolated nation’s sixth and largest nuclear test, AFP reported. The sanctions include a ban on textile exports and curbs on shipments of oil products.
The sanctions, drafted by the United States, follow earlier ones on exports of coal, lead and seafood from North Korea imposed after Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile last month.
“We are not looking for war,” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said. “The North Korean regime has not yet passed the point of no-return. If it agrees to stop its nuclear programme, it can reclaim its future. If it proves it can live in peace, the world will live in peace with it.”
On Monday, North Korea had warned the United States that it would pay a “due price” for spearheading efforts to have fresh sanctions imposed on the country after its latest nuclear test. North Korea was condemned globally for conducting its sixth nuclear test since 2006 on September 3. The country claimed it had tested an advanced hydrogen bomb.
The new sanctions
Washington had initially proposed a complete oil embargo on North Korea and freezing leader Kim Jong-Un’s assets. The US, however, is believed to have compromised on these demands to ensure support from China and Russia. The new sanctions impose a limit on deliveries of refined oil products and restricts crude oil shipments at their current level.
The restrictions bar members of the UN from issuing work permits to North Korean labourers, who are a source of revenue to Pyongyang’s economy. The UN Security Council also approved blacklisting senior North Korean officials and three of the country’s entities to impose a global travel ban on them and freeze their assets.
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