International coalition presses UN committee over North Korea sanctions evasion

South Korea, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European External Action Service issued a joint statement on Frida, May 29, urging a United Nations sanctions committee to swiftly designate vessels accused of violating U.N. sanctions on North Korea.

The statement underscored the countries' unified stance against North Korea's efforts to evade U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions, including restrictions on the export of coal and iron ore.

The governments welcomed a briefing delivered last month by the Open Source Centre, a non-profit organization that uses publicly available data to investigate a range of global issues. The briefing focused on North Korea's alleged sanctions-evasion activities.

Referring to the findings presented during the briefing, the joint statement said: "The evidence presented -- including vessel imagery, voyage reconstruction, Automatic Identification System manipulation, and port call analysis -- indicates clear violations of obligations under Security Council resolutions prohibiting the export of DPRK coal and iron ore."

DPRK refers to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

The governments also highlighted what they described as "clear evidence" involving seven vessels that were nominated to the U.N. Security Council's 1718 Committee in December for sanctions designation. They urged the committee to "act swiftly" in formally designating the vessels.

The 1718 Committee was established under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 in 2006 following North Korea's first nuclear test. It is responsible for overseeing and implementing sanctions imposed on the country.

Emphasizing the committee's responsibilities, the statement noted: "Under U.N. Security Council resolution 1718, paragraph 12, the committee is mandated to examine and take appropriate action on information regarding violations and to strengthen implementation of the measures it oversees."

The governments added: "Prompt designations are essential to preserving the credibility and effectiveness of the U.N. sanctions regime."

By Tamilla Hasanova