North Korea
Expected Council Action
Ambassador Marcello Spatafora of Italy, the Chair of the Sanctions Committee on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (the DPRK, or North Korea), will brief the Council in July. Resolution 1718, which in October established the Sanctions Committee, requires a report every 90 days.
The briefing coincides with important developments in North Korea. It may lead to consultations on wider issues including encouraging Pyongyang to proceed with the process of denuclearisation. The Council may discuss some acknowledgement of North Korea’s invitation to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors and the schedule for the shut-down.
Key Recent Developments
The sixth round of six-party talks among China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the US and North Korea on implementing the 13 February agreement was cut short in mid-March. A major stumbling block concerned the transfer of US$25 million of frozen funds from a Macau bank to North Korea.
The February agreement committed Pyongyang to close the Yongbyon reactor within 60 days, in return for 50,000 tons of fuel aid or equivalent economic aid. Pyongyang refused to shut down until it received the funds. However, the transfer took place in mid-June following initiatives from the US and Russia that resolved technical issues. North Korea confirmed that it had received the money on 25 June.
On 18 June, North Korea invited the IAEA to discuss procedures to verify and monitor suspension of operations and a week later a team from the IAEA went to Pyongyang for a five-day visit. Christopher R Hill, the US chief negotiator for the six-party talks, also visited Pyongyang and confirmed North Korea’s commitment to shut down the Yongbyon reactor, which he indicated might be within three weeks. This is expected to open the way for the six-party talks to resume.
Resolution 1718 required UN member states to report implementation to the Council by 14 November 2006. Seventy-three countries have complied but the process is slowing with just five countries reporting since the last Sanctions Committee report in April.
In October 2006 the Sanctions Committee adopted lists of prohibited trade items in nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Standard working guidelines have finally been established and were formally adopted on 20 June. So far, no member state has proposed any entities or individuals to be designated for targeted sanctions.
North Korea conducted three separate missile tests recently. None caused any significant disruption to negotiations.
Options
The Council has three options:
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Receive the briefing in informal consultations and take no action;
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Agree to a Press Statement welcoming the invitation to the IAEA inspectors, looking forward to the early shutdown and recommencement of the six-party talks; and
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Agree in informal consultations that the Chair of the Sanctions Committee should begin consultations with its members on practical measures to begin implementation of the next phase of its mandate.
Key Issues
A key issue for the Council is to encourage North Korea to complete the shutdown promptly and to move on to the remaining stages of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsular. An issue will be how best the Council can help set the scene for productive progress in six-party talks.
A related issue is how and when to recalibrate the current “carrot and sticks” policy. In this regard, an important technical question is how long the actual shutdown process might reasonably take. Hill has indicated that North Korea would need three weeks to complete the shutdown, although in the February agreement it had been assumed that 60 days might be necessary. The IAEA may have its own issues regarding the time to verify and seal the reactor after its discussions in Pyongyang. In the light of this a key issue is whether the Council should press the Sanctions Committee to intensify its work or, on the other hand, send positive signals of encouragement.
Council and Wider Dynamics
In the six-party talks, China and the US have been working together and met again in mid-June to revive the process. The February agreement initially led to improved working relations within the Sanctions Committee. However recently, in the Sanctions Committee, differences on how the mandate should be carried forward, seem to have emerged.
Russia has shown signs of increased involvement by helping release the funds. Russia’s foreign minister travelled to South Korea at the beginning of June in an attempt to restart the negotiation.
Most members seem comfortable with a wait and see approach on sanctions, at least for the next few months, and believe that progress at the next round of six-party talks will determine the Sanctions Committee’s next steps.
Underlying Problems
There is a real possibility of food shortages and starvation in North Korea. Food management may be directly affected by the suspension of several United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) projects following criticism of working methods and financial management.
| Selected Security Council Resolutions |
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| Presidential Statement |
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| Selected Letter |
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| Other |
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Press Statement on the Fifth Round of the Six-Party Talks, 13 February 2007
