50 nations call for monitoring of sanctions against North Korea after Russia's veto disbanded UN panel

As the tensions in the Korean peninsula continue to escalate, South Korea, the United States, Japan and 47 other countries called for efforts to continue “objective and independent” monitoring of the enforcement of UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea.

The UN panel which was tasked with monitoring the sanction imposed on the hermit nation was disbanded stirring major headlines around the world. The 50 nations released a joint statement on the matter on Thursday, Yonhap reported.

Last month, Russia vetoed a UNSC resolution that would have extended the mandate of the presence of the panel by another year. Moscow’s growing ties with Pyongyang have been a matter of concern for many countries since Russia is currently involved in the ravaging war against Ukraine.

What are the countries saying?

The countries called North Korea’s advancement of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and ballistic missiles “unlawful”.

“Given the imperative for all member states to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, and considering the expiration of the panel, we must now consider how to continue access to this kind of objective, independent analysis in order to address the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile advancements,” the statement reads.

The remarks were formally delivered by US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. “We look forward to working with all member states to make that possible,” she added.

The alliance slams Russia

In their statement, the nation also slammed the Russian Federation for vetoing the extension of the monitoring power. They insisted that the elimination of the panel made it harder for the UN to implement binding Security Council resolutions.

“These resolutions address the threat posed by the DPRK’s unlawful ballistic missile and WMD programs, which jeopardize international peace and security and put the global nonproliferation regime at risk,” the alliance averred.

“We reiterate the Security Council’s consistent demand that the DPRK comply with its obligations under multiple Security Council resolutions, abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner, and engage constructively in diplomacy,” they added.

What’s the alternative? 

When asked if the group had an alternative in mind now that the panel is disbanded, Thomas-Greenfield mentioned that the countries are looking into various possibilities.

“We’re looking at a number of possibilities, and working very, very closely with Japan and Korea to propose ideas for the rest of member states to consider,” the US official told reporters after the joint presser, Yonhap reported.

“It certainly is something we are working very urgently on doing with all of our colleagues here,” she added.

The UN panel’s mandate has been extended annually since it was first launched in 2009. The UNSC Resolution 1874 was adopted in response to the North’s second nuclear test in May of the same year.

The now-defunct panel has served as a key institutional platform to oversee sanctions on the North.