SEOUL: South Korea, the United States, and Japan have announced the creation of a new multilateral mechanism to monitor U.N. sanctions on North Korea, following the cessation of the U.N. panel due to Russia’s veto, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry. This development aims to ensure the continued enforcement of international sanctions amid escalating tensions with North Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the new monitoring group, named the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), is a collaborative effort among South Korea, the U.S., Japan, and eight other nations, including France, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The initiative comes after Russia, in a move seen as aligning with North Korea, blocked the renewal of the U.N. panel’s mandate, which had been in place since 2009 to oversee the implementation of sanctions against North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
The MSMT will adopt a structure similar to the former U.N. panel to “monitor and r
eport violations and evasions of the sanctions measures stipulated in the relevant UNSC resolutions,” a joint statement from the participating countries stated. The group’s primary goal is to support the full implementation of U.N. sanctions by producing detailed and accurate reports on any attempts to bypass these sanctions.
This mechanism emerges in response to the termination of the U.N. monitoring panel on April 30, after serving since its inception under UNSC Resolution 1874, which followed North Korea’s second nuclear test in May 2009. The South Korean foreign ministry highlighted that the new team would address the “limitations” faced by the U.N. panel, particularly those resulting from “power dynamics” within the U.N. Security Council, which had impacted its operations.
The statement further emphasized the coalition’s commitment to uphold international peace and security and reiterated the call for global cooperation against the persistent threats posed by North Korea. It also affirmed that diplomat
ic avenues with North Korea remain open, advocating for dialogue and peaceful resolution.
North Korea remains prohibited under multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions from trading in goods or materials that could aid its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Nonetheless, the country has reportedly continued such activities, often through clandestine operations including ship-to-ship transfers, with alleged support from nations like China and Russia.