Chinese envoy urges Security Council to address adverse effects of sanctions on DPRK

A Chinese envoy on Thursday called for the Security Council to address the adverse impact of sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

As a responsible and permanent member of the Security Council, China supports the implementation of the council's DPRK-related resolutions and supports the work of the Security Council 1718 Committee on DPRK sanctions as long as they do not have an adverse humanitarian impact on people's livelihoods, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

The Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the panel of experts of the 1718 Committee until April 30, 2024.

"It is disconcerting that for some time now, with the compound effects of sanctions, the pandemic, and other factors, the DPRK is increasingly facing a grave humanitarian situation. It warrants the attention of the Council, the Committee, and the panel, and their corresponding actions," said Geng.

China said it is regrettable that its proposals to improve the working methods and performance of the panel of experts were not reflected in the resolution, Geng said.