UN Security Council extends mandate of Panel of Experts on DPRK sanctions

UNITED NATIONS - The Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which assists a Security Council sanctions committee against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Resolution 2464, which won unanimous support of the 15 members of the Security Council, extends the mandate of the Panel of Experts till April 24, 2020.

The resolution requests the Panel of Experts to submit to the Security Council a midterm report on its work by Sept 6, 2019, and submit a final report, with its findings and recommendations, by March 6, 2020.

The resolution urges all states, relevant UN bodies and other interested parties to cooperate fully with the DPRK sanctions committee and the Panel of Experts, in particular, by supplying any information at their disposal on the implementation of the sanctions imposed by a string of Security Council resolutions since 2006.

The Security Council expresses its intent to review the mandate of the Panel of Experts and take appropriate action regarding further extension no later than March 27, 2020.

The Security Council's sanctions committee on the DPRK, called the 1718 Sanctions Committee, was established in 2006 by Resolution 1718 in response to the DPRK's first nuclear test and other nuclear proliferation activities.

Resolution 1718 imposed a series of economic sanctions on the DPRK and established the sanctions committee to gather more information, specify the sanctions, monitor them, and issue recommendations.

A Panel of Experts established in 2009 supports the work of the sanctions committee through expert analysis, particularly in evaluating cases of noncompliance. While the sanctions committee can make legally binding decisions on how to specifically execute the sanctions, the Panel of Experts only has an informational and advisory role in support of those decisions.