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Opinion | UN’s sanctions-fuelled approach to North Korea must end
- After nearly two decades of sanctions on North Korea, Russia could have dealt the system a death blow in an attempt to force it to change
- The UN should take this opportunity to alter its strategy and instead prioritise diplomacy to generate dialogue and greater understanding
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The United Nations must reassess its sanctions-driven approach in dealing with North Korea. After nearly two decades of this approach, Russia has potentially dealt the final blow to the UN’s sanctions system by shutting down the panel of experts responsible for looking into breaches of the sanctions on Pyongyang.
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The panel, established in the wake of North Korea’s second nuclear test in 2009, has acknowledged the shortcomings of sanctions over the years and even their negative impact on the humanitarian situation in North Korea.
Regarding the latter, the panel’s most recent report, published in March, states that “there can be little doubt that United Nations sanctions and their implementation have unintentionally affected the humanitarian situation and some aspects of aid operations”. The report also notes that North Korea has “continued to flout Security Council sanctions” and further developed its nuclear weapons programme.
Thirteen of the 15 current UN Security Council members voted in favour of extending the panel’s mandate, with China abstaining and Russia vetoing the resolution. The Russian side said the West was trying to “strangle” North Korea and that sanctions were losing their relevance and are “detached from reality”.
The panel’s mandate is set to officially expire on April 30. But even if the panel is saved before the deadline, it is high time the UN changes its strategy towards North Korea to one prioritising diplomacy over sanctions.
02:07
North Korea, China vow to deepen ties as Pyongyang conducts new missile tests
North Korea, China vow to deepen ties as Pyongyang conducts new missile tests
A wise first step would be to shift the focus away from the Security Council as the political and ideological divisions among the five permanent members are unlikely to lead to diplomatic progress with North Korea. The Security Council has been unable to pass any new sanction resolutions against North Korea for more than six years, with China and Russia vetoing a US proposal for additional sanctions against Pyongyang in 2022. As Esther Im of the National Committee on North Korea noted, sanctions without diplomacy are “a purely punitive measure that may push the denuclearisation horizon further away”.
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