Sanctions not intended to affect people's livelihoods

UN resolution calls for a resumption of Six-Party Talks to seek peaceful solution

The fresh UN sanctions imposed on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Wednesday, though widely believed to be tougher than ever, are not intended to affect people's livelihoods of the DPRK as the document contains language allowing for humanitarian exemptions.

The 15-nation UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that approved a set of harsh sanctions in response to the DPRK's latest nuclear test and satellite launch.

The resolution broadens the scope of the financial sanctions and the scope of the arms embargo. It also includes a ban on all exports from the DPRK of coal, iron, iron ore, gold, titanium ore, vanadium ore and rare earth metals, and a prohibition on the supply to the DPRK of all types of aviation fuel, including rocket fuel.

The document underlines that measures imposed by relevant Security Council resolutions "are not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences for the civilian population of the DPRK".

Throughout, the document contains measures aimed at limiting negative humanitarian consequences by including exemptions for livelihood or medical purposes in the written sanction measures.

To illustrate, the resolution requires that all states shall inspect on their territory all cargo going to or coming from the DPRK.

On banning all exports from the DPRK of coal, iron and iron ore, the resolution said this provision shall not apply with respect to transactions that are determined to be exclusively for livelihood purposes and unrelated to generating revenue for the DPRK's nuclear or ballistic missile programs.

It decided that this provision shall not apply if such offices, subsidiaries, or accounts are required for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Hong Lei, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said on Thursday that the sanctions should not affect the everyday life of people in the DPRK. The UN Security Council's resolution cannot fundamentally solve the nuclear issue, and relevant parties need to return to dialogue, he said.

Echoing this point, the resolution calls for a resumption of the Six-Party Talks, a multilateral dialogue mechanism to seek a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue. The talks involve China, the United States, Russia, Japan, as well as the two sides on the Peninsula.

Xinhua - AFP - AP