[author: Rachel Coyne - Law Clerk]
On March 2, 2016, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2270 imposing new sanctions and tightening old measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The resolution is in response to the area’s ongoing nuclear and ballistic missile activities that pose a threat to international peace and security. The new sanctions build on the Security Council’s previous measures aimed at the DPRK’s nuclear program and make it harder for the DPRK to raise funds and import technology as well as imposing mandatory inspections of cargo to and from the DPRK.
Highlights of Resolution 2270 include:
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Condemning the DPRK’s January 6 nuclear test and February 7 launch;
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Imposing measures to contrail the DPRK’s conventional arms capabilities;
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Targeting the DPRK’s proliferation networks to limit the DPRK’s ability to smuggle and evade sanctions;
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Banning specialized teaching or training for DPRK nationals in various scientific and engineering fields that could contribute to DPRK’s proliferation-sensitive activities;
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Enforcing new cargo inspection and maritime procedures to limit the DPRK’s ability to transfer UN-prohibited items;
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And imposing sectoral sanctions targeting the DPRK’s trade in resources and new financial sanctions targeting banks and assets.
The resolution also reiterates the importance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and expresses the importance of international cooperation to keep not only the region but the world safe. Resolution 2270 mentions the Council’s determination in taking further significant measures in the event of future DPRK nuclear tests or launches.
To read more information about Resolution 2270, visit the United States Mission to the United Nations’ press release. To read the full resolution, click here.
