UN Exempts 'Humanitarian Aid' from All Sanctions... "Minimal Impact on North Korea"

UN Security Council Resolution Considers Sanctions on Al-Qaeda and ISIL
North Korea Aid Already Exempted... "Impact Likely Limited"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hee-jun Jang] The United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly adopted a resolution exempting humanitarian aid from all current and future sanctions. However, the impact of this resolution on North Korea sanctions is expected to be minimal, as there are already exceptions for humanitarian aid in place.

On the 9th (local time), the Associated Press reported that the resolution (Security Council Resolution 2664), jointly proposed by the United States and Ireland, was passed with 14 votes in favor, none against, and India abstaining as the sole country. The resolution passed by the Security Council holds binding force under international law.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, emphasized before the vote, "Our goal is to prevent terrorists and human rights violators through lawful means and maintain peace and security, while also making life-saving humanitarian efforts for those in need."

Fergal Mitton, the Irish Ambassador, after the vote, said, "This resolution allows us to reduce unintended side effects without reducing UN sanctions themselves," calling it "a landmark resolution." He added, "Sometimes sanctions prevent aid supplies from being shipped or budgets from being allocated," and said, "While this resolution is not a panacea, it will provide certainty and clarity to humanitarian aid providers."

Specifically, the resolution clarifies that transfers of funds or supplies for timely humanitarian aid do not violate asset freeze measures under Security Council sanctions.

However, India’s Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, who abstained, expressed concerns, stating, "There are proven cases of abuse of such humanitarian aid and mockery of sanctions," and "Terrorist groups in our neighboring regions often disguise themselves as humanitarian organizations to evade sanctions."

International human rights organizations immediately welcomed the passage of the resolution. Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said in a statement, "The implementation of this resolution will significantly aid humanitarian actions in many parts of the world." Kate Phillips-Barasso, Vice President of the international relief organization Mercy Corps, said, "It will be a game changer for organizations that have had to bear the risks associated with life-saving aid."

North Korean Flag

This resolution is a general provision applicable to the entire Security Council sanctions regime and is mainly intended for sanctions against groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Therefore, diplomatic circles assess that this resolution will not immediately have a significant impact on humanitarian aid to North Korea, as humanitarian aid is already explicitly exempted under North Korea sanctions.

Security Council Resolution 2397 on North Korea sanctions, adopted in February 2017, includes a provision allowing the Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee (1718 Committee) to exempt humanitarian organizations from sanctions when necessary. The 1718 Committee also institutionalized procedures by issuing guidelines in 2018 to enable aid organizations to quickly obtain exemptions for humanitarian aid to North Korea.

However, the international consensus that humanitarian aid is an exception to sanctions could foster a positive atmosphere for aid to North Korea as well. The key issue remains North Korea’s attitude, which continues to reject humanitarian aid proposals from South Korea, the United States, and others while maintaining border closures due to COVID-19 prevention measures.

U.S. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield told reporters, "We have always provided mechanisms for humanitarian aid to North Korea," and pointed out, "The obstacle to humanitarian aid is not the sanctions regime but the North Korean government itself."

The U.S. State Department also responded in writing to Voice of America (VOA), stating, "The principle that humanitarian aid to North Korea is considered separately from progress on denuclearization remains unchanged," and explained that the difficulty in providing humanitarian aid to North Korea is due to the country’s excessive lockdown measures.