UN asks oil traders to shore up sanctions on North Korea

UN sanctions experts are asking global commodity trading firms and oil companies to spell out what measures they are taking to prevent illegal oil shipments from reaching North Korea, the panel's coordinator said Tuesday.

The UN Security Council in December adopted a new round of sanctions that severely restricted oil supplies vital for North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

"We are requesting information on what measures are being put in place by these companies to reduce the risk that products might be inadvertently, wittingly or unwittingly transferred to North Korea," said Hugh Griffiths, the coordinator of the UN panel of experts on North Korea.

Griffiths told AFP that illegal oil shipments were continuing to reach North Korea, despite a series of measures ordered by the Security Council to block supplies.

In March, the UN sanctions committee blacklisted 27 ships, 21 companies and a businessman for helping North Korea circumvent sanctions and smuggle in oil and banned commodities.

Letters were sent this month to 24 "major global commodity trading companies that focus on oil, but in particular refined petroleum products in the areas that the panel is monitoring and oil producers and oil refiners in those areas," said Griffiths.

He did not provide names of companies.

APP