UN Security Council Unanimously Approves North Korea Sanctions

A landmark resolution by the United Nations Security Council was unanimously approved by the UN body banning all exports and imports of weapons and nuclear materials and providing penalties therein. The resolution was supported by Russia and China.

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved sanctions on North Korea amid continuing threat by the communist country to conduct nuclear and missile tests in violation of an existing UN resolution on the matter. The landmark resolution by the UN body bans all weapons exports from North Korea as well as imports of the same. The resolution authorizes UN member states to inspect air and land cargo in the North Korean sea lanes and authorizing these member states as designated in the resolution to seize and destroy the goods or materials transported in violation of the sanctions. Irish Times.com reports:

Both China and Russia, which had been reluctant to support punitive measures against North Korea in the past, supported the US-drafted resolution, which is now binding under international law.

The United States envoy to the United Nations welcomed the Security Council's move.

"We're very pleased the Security Council just within an hour and a half passed a brand new resolution," US ambassador Susan Rice told a White House briefing It is interesting to note that China and Russia supported the US-drafted resolution knowing that these two countries have been reluctant to support the measure in the past.