China, Russia send draft resolution to UNSC urging to lift key sanctions on North Korea

China and Russia have urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to lift a slew of sanctions against North Korea, ranging from exporting seafood and textiles to a ban on the country's citizens working abroad and sending their profits home. On Tuesday, November 2, a draft resolution was sent to council members, emphasising North Korea's economic hardships and urging to lift sanctions "with the goal of strengthening the civilian population's livelihood," reported The Associated Press (AP). After North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006, the Security Council implemented sanctions, which were gradually tightened in response to subsequent nuclear tests and an increasingly advanced ballistic missile programme.

Nikki Haley, a former United Nations ambassador, said in 2018 that sanctions had cut off all North Korean exports and almost 90% of its trade and disbanded the pool of North Korean workers sent abroad to earn hard currency. The draft resolution builds on a previous resolution released by Russia and China in December 2019. However, it faced strong opposition from Western nations and was never formally submitted to the council for a vote. Meanwhile, several United Nations diplomats, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the draft is yet to be made public, said it would face a similar opposition this time too, citing North Korea's continued violations of UN sanctions, reported the news agency. 

'Biden administration remains committed to the sanctions regime'

North Korea has failed to comply with UN sanctions on its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, according to the US Mission to the UN, and the Biden administration "remains committed to the sanctions framework," appealing to other member nations to enforce the measures. Notably, North Korea conducted its fifth set of weapons tests in recent weeks, firing a newly built ballistic missile from a submarine, all of which violated UN sanctions. It was the North's first underwater test since October 2019 and the most high-profile since President Joe Biden took office in January.

It should be mentioned here that there is no mention of the missile tests in the China-Russia resolution. Instead, it emphasises that the North has not conducted nuclear tests since September 2017 and that a moratorium on further nuclear tests and intercontinental missile test launches has been in place since April 21, 2018. The draft also urges all United Nations member countries to step up their efforts to provide humanitarian aid. Apart from providing food, fertiliser, and medical supplies, the draft urged the member nations to provide goods, materials, technology, and financial services that North Korea requires to combat COVID-19, improve livelihoods, and develop the economy. However, South Korea, which has shown a readiness to engage with the North within the confines of UN sanctions, is yet to respond to China and Russia's proposals to relax sanctions on the North.

(With AP inputs)

Image: AP