The United Nations Security Council will reportedly vote to strengthen sanctions on North Korea after the Kim Jong-Un-led country recently tested intercontinental ballistic missiles.
What Happened: A senior U.S. official told AFP that at the request of the United States, which holds the rotating Security Council presidency for May, the U.N. would conduct a vote on a resolution aimed at toughening sanctions on North Korea.
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A senior U.S. official had said earlier that the resolution would notably look at curbing oil imports. However, diplomats say Russia and China could exercise their veto power.
In Security Council Resolution 2397, adopted unanimously in 2017 by the U.N., North Korea had been warned of further consequences in the event of another ICBM launch.
"That was a provision of that resolution. That's precisely what happened, and so we feel it's now time to take action," the official, on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
The report further noted that the draft resolution in the U.N. calls for a reduction in the amount of oil that North Korea can legally import each year for civilian purposes from 4 million to 3 million barrels. It would also cut imports of refined petroleum from the current 500,000 to 375,000 barrels, along with other sanctions on exports, including clocks, watches, and mineral fuels.
As of May 25, North Korea COVID-19 cases stood at 3.17 million, with no death reported for the past two days. The country said the virus has been on a downtrend with the emergency anti-epidemic campaign in force.
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