The push came after Russia rejected the annual renewal of the
U.N. panel of experts that has over the past 15 years monitored
the implementation of sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's
nuclear and missile programs. China abstained from the vote.
The envisioned new panel is aimed at continuing the U.N.
entity's work and would be operated by Washington, Seoul and
Tokyo and joined by likeminded countries including Australia,
New Zealand and some European countries, the sources said on
condition of anonymity due to diplomatic sensitivity.
"The U.N. panel had faced some difficulties as Chinese and
Russian members often tried to water down North Korea's
suspected sanctions evasion," a senior South Korean government
official said.
Such a team would likely lack the international legitimacy
granted to a U.N.-backed operation, but would be able to more
effectively monitor North Korea, the official said.
Seoul would prefer launching the mechanism among allies and
friends, but there is a possibility that they will seek formal
endorsement through the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA), another
senior official said.
The team might also be mandated to monitor the implementation of
resolutions on North Korea's human rights situation adopted by
the Security Council, the UNGA and the U.N. Human Rights
Council, a third source said.
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield,
when asked on Wednesday about creating a new panel of experts,
said she would engage with South Korea and Japan to "develop
options both inside and outside the U.N."
"The point here is that we cannot allow the work that the panel
of experts were doing to lapse," she told a news conference in
Seoul.
Moscow and Beijing have called for sanctions on North Korea to
be reduced as a way to jumpstart diplomatic negotiations and
ease humanitarian suffering in the impoverished nation.
Thomas-Greenfield, visiting the heavily armed Korean border on
Tuesday, urged Russia and China to reverse course, and stop
rewarding North Korea's bad behavior and shielding it from
sanctions evading activities.
(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Josh Smith;
Editing by Lincoln Feast)
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