The United States on Thursday introduced a new draft resolution
mandating sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear test.
The resolution, cosponsored by Britain, France, Slovakia, Japan,
Denmark and Greece, condemns the nuclear test, demands that North
Korea immediately return to the six-party talks without
precondition, and requires that all member states prevent the sale
or transfer of arms, luxury goods, and material and technology
related to North Korea's nuclear, ballistic missile or other
weapons of mass destruction programs.
The draft also encourages all concerned countries "to intensify
their diplomatic efforts to facilitate the early resumption of the
six-party talks, with a view to achieving the verifiable
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to maintaining peace
and stability in the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia."
Despite differences in the Council, US ambassador John Bolton
said the Council should try to respond to a nuclear test within the
same week that the test occurred and the United States would push
for a vote on the resolution Friday.
But Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin urged the United States
not to rush to a vote. "The international community will easily
understand if on the matter of this gravity and importance, the
Security Council will take a few more days to have a reasoned and
united response to the challenge we face from this explosion in
North Korea," he said.
Chinese ambassador to the UN Wang Guangya also shared the view
by saying the Security Council needs to send a strong, clear
message to North Korea, but there are differences over what
language will be effective, especially in terms of providing more
room for diplomatic efforts.
He urged the Council to take "firm, forceful and also
appropriate" action.
The new draft resolution remains under Chapter 7 of the UN
Charter, which includes sanctions, blockages and military actions
to deal with threats to international peace and security. But there
is no automatic use of force unless the Council specifically
authorizes it.
(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2006)
