Separately, the U.N. press office announced that Russia, which holds the presidency of the 15-nation Security Council this month, would convene closed-door consultations on North Korea at 11:00 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) in New York on Tuesday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the UN diplomats said they hoped to receive the draft resolution at Tuesday‘s council session. They added that they hope the council will vote on the resolution by the end of this week. The details of the draft were not immediately available.
Council diplomats have said that they would like to strengthen the provisions in previous sanctions resolutions adopted after North Korea’s 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests, above all those related to the inspection and seizure of shipments of banned items and toughening financial restrictions.
The Security Council strongly condemned North Korea‘s third nuclear test on February 12 and vowed to take action against Pyongyang for an act that all major world powers, including traditional ally China, denounced.
Pyongyang said at the time that the test was an act of self-defense against “US hostility” and threatened stronger steps if necessary.
North Korea’s previous nuclear tests had prompted the Security Council to impose sanctions that include a ban on the import of nuclear and missile technology, an arms embargo and a ban on luxury goods imports.
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Park Sae-jin
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