UNSC extends North Korea sanctions

United Nations: The UN Security Council on Thursday extended the mandate of the panel of experts that assist North Korea Sanctions committee until April 24, 2017.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-nation Council requested the panel of experts to provide the committee a mid-term report on its work by September 7, 2016 and requested a final report from the panel no later than February 1, 2017.

The panel is also required to provide a program of work no later than thirty days after its reappointment, and to engage in regular discussions about the programme of work.

The panel, created by the Security Council through Resolution 1874 which was adopted in 2009, is tasked with helping the committee gather information and provide feedback to the Council on the implementation of sanctions and embargoes imposed on Pyongyang.

The resolution also urged all states and relevant UN bodies to cooperate with the committee and the panel of experts by supplying any information on the implementation of measures imposed by relevant Security Council resolutions.

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council, the most powerful UN arm of the world body, agreed to impose a new raft of tougher sanctions on the DPRK to curb its nuclear and missile programmes.