The UN voted to impose financial and arms sanctions on North Korea to punish the Communist nation for its nuclear weapon test.
UNITED NATIONS: After five days of intense negotiations, the United Nations Security Council on Saturday unanimously imposed non-military sanctions on North Korea to punish it for testing a nuclear device on Monday and warned it against repeating such an act in future.
The vote was 15-0. The US-drafted resolution allows nations to stop cargo going to and from North Korea to check for weapons of mass destruction or related supplies.
But the measure specifically excludes military force. It requires all countries to prevent the sale or transfer of materials related to Pyongyang's unconventional weapons programs.
And the resolution demands nations freezes funds overseas of people or businesses connected with North Korea''s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The text of the resolution prepared by the United States underwent major changes to accommodate the concerns of China and Russia but ultimately all 15 members of the Council sponsored the resolution and adopted it in a rare Saturday session, to send a strong message to Pyongyang.
Describing the North Korean test as "threat to international peace and security," the Security Council banned supply of heavy military equipment including battle tanks, armoured vehicles, combat aircraft, warships, missiles or missile system as also any material which helps the secretive country in the development of its weapons of mass destruction.
"Today we are sending a strong and clear message to North Korea," US Ambassador John Bolton said after the resolution passed. The United States had led the calls for a strong international response to Pyongyang's test.
The resolution demands the elimination of all North Korean nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, and provides for a travel ban on officials working on such programmes.
It calls for a ban targeting missiles, tanks, large artillery systems, warships and combat aircraft. It also permits inspection of cargo to and from North Korea to prevent any illegal trafficking.
In addition to an array of financial and other sanctions, the measure calls on Pyongyang to return without precondition to the stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear programme that it has boycotted for nearly a year.
US President George W Bush earlier used his weekly radio address to urge the council to adopt tough punitive measures that would show the isolated Communist state that its actions have real consequences.
US pressure 'declaration of war': North Korea's UN ambassador said any further US pressure on Pyongyang will be a declaration of war and that his country totally rejects UN Security Council sanctions imposed on Saturday.
"If the United States increases pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea, the DPRK will continue to take physical counter measures, considering it as a declaration of war," Pak Gil Yon told the Security Council.
Also see: List of sanctions
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