UN Security Council unanimously adopts tougher sanctions on North Korea The United Nations Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution that aims to slash by a third North Korea’s $3 billion annual export revenue over Pyongyang’s two intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests in July.

 As such, this resolution “sends a clear message” to Pyongyang that the Security Council is united in condemning its violations and demanding the country give up its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Resolution 2371 (2017) includes the strongest sanctions ever imposed in response to a ballistic missile test. These measures target Pyongyang’s principal exports, imposing a total ban on all exports of coal (North Korea’s largest source of external revenue), iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood.

Banning these exports will prevent Pyongyang from earning over $1 billion per year of hard currency that would be redirected to its illicit programs, according to the resolution.

North Korea earns approximately $3 billion per year from its exports. Additional sanctions target North Korea’s arms smuggling, joint ventures with foreign companies, banks, and other sources of revenue.

A resolution needs nine votes in favour, and no vetoes by the US, China, Russia, France or Britain, to be adopted.

The measures would be the seventh set of UN sanctions imposed on North Korea since it first carried out a nuclear test in 2006.

(With inputs from agencies)