国际英语新闻:UN Security Council renews mandate of DPRK Panel of Experts

UNITED NATIONS, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted Resolution 2407 extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1718 Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee until April 24, 2019.

This adoption comes shortly after the circulation of the final report of the Panel of Experts to the Council on March 1.

The newly adopted resolution determines that "proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security."

The Council expresses its intent to review the mandate and make appropriate action regarding further extension no later than March 24, 2019 and requests the Secretary-General to take the necessary administrative measures to this effect.

The Council requests the Panel of Experts to provide to the Committee no later than Aug. 3, 2018 a midterm report on its work, and further requests that, after a discussion with the Committee, the Panel of Experts submit to the Council its midterm report by Sept. 7, 2018, and requests also a final report to the Committee no later than Feb. 1, 2019 with its findings and recommendations, and further requests that, after a discussion with the Committee, the Panel of Experts submit to the Council its final report no later than March 14, 2019.

The Council's sanctions committee on the DPRK, the 1718 Democratic People's Republic of Korea Sanctions Committee, is a subsidiary body established in 2006 by the Council's Resolution 1718 in response to the DPRK's first nuclear test and its other nuclear proliferation efforts.

Resolution 1718 imposed a series of economic sanctions on the DPRK and established a 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 Committee through expert analysis, particularly in evaluating cases of non-compliance. While the 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.