UN blacklists 27 ships and 21 companies for helping North Korea dodge sanctions
North Korean oil tankers and cargo vessels were banned from ports worldwide along with other ships for helping Pyongyang smuggle banned commodities or supplying oil shipments
The UN Security Council on Friday blacklisted 27 ships, 21 companies and a businessman for helping North Korea circumvent sanctions, as the United States keeps up pressure on Pyongyang despite its recent overtures toward talks, diplomats said.
Acting on a request from the United States, it was the largest ever package of sanctions designations on North Korea approved by a council committee, diplomats said.
The move is part of a global crackdown on the smuggling of North Korean commodities in violation of UN sanctions resolutions, which were adopted in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
The sanctions were approved as the United States moves to open talks with North Korea on its nuclear drive, with a summit possible between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un by the end of May.
Despite the diplomatic opening, the United States has made clear they will keep the pressure on Pyongyang to shift course by pressing on with sanctions.
Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, on Friday welcomed the “historic” sanctions package, calling it “a clear sign that the international community is united in our efforts to keep up maximum pressure on the North Korean regime”.