NORTH KOREA
Officials from the United States and the United Kingdom met in London with industry leaders from maritime insurance companies, commodity traders, and other relevant parties, to discuss steps the private sector can take to prevent illicit shipping, trade, and other sanctions evasion activities that North Korea uses to generate revenue for its UN-prohibited nuclear and missile programs, according to the Office of the US State Department Spokesperson.
North Korea, despite UN sanctions, continues to rely heavily on illicit shipping activities. Discussions centered around proactive measures the maritime could employ to protect against the provision of insurance for vessels engaged in illicit, prohibited activities with North Korea, disrupting North Korean-linked shipping, and enhanced public-private cooperation.
Washington’s goal is to create a final, fully verifiable denuclearization of North Korea. The State Department announcement added that the “full implementation of North Korean-related UN Security Council resolutions by all countries is crucial to a successful diplomatic outcome. The international community must continue to implement and enforce these resolutions until North Korea denuclearizes.”
MAGNITSKY SANCTIONS
The State Department announced the United States imposed sanctions on seventeen Saudi Arabian individuals for serious human rights abuse resulting from their roles in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi at the Consulate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2. A press statement issued by Secretary Pompeo stated that “This action was taken under the authority of Executive Order 13818, which implements and builds upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. As a result of this action, all of these individuals’ assets within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. At the time of Khashoggi’s killing, these individuals occupied positions in the Royal Court and several ministries and offices of the Government of Saudi Arabia.”
Since the killing of Khashoggi, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has attempted to put distance between the Crown Prince and others connected to the assassination. Western leaders have almost uniformly condemned the action and demanded that the Saudi government take immediate punitive action to determine the details, and identity, of those involved in the killing.
NEW HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE STEERING COUNCIL
To further optimize the State Department and USAID’s humanitarian assistance, the Secretary of State announced he has established a new senior-level mechanism for coordinating and overseeing U.S. humanitarian assistance – the Humanitarian Assistance Steering Council. The
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purpose of the Council, he stated, “is to coordinate U.S. government efforts in order to achieve seamless, efficient, and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance overseas in support of U.S. foreign policy objectives, including promoting burden-sharing and UN humanitarian reform.”
UKRAINE
The State Department spokesperson announced: “The United States joins our European Allies and partners in condemning the November 11 sham “elections” in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine. Yesterday’s illegitimate processes were an attempt by Moscow to institutionalize its Donbas proxies, the so-called “Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.” These entities have no place within the Minsk agreements or within Ukraine’s constitutional government, and they should be dismantled along with the illegal armed formations.”
If Russia calculated the November 11 illegal “elections” would lead to international respect for its proxies, the international reaction proves it was mistaken, according to the Department. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has refused to monitor the election, calling it a “farce,” and the UN Security Council recently denounced Russia’s actions.
The European Union and the United States are in close alignment on this issue and plan to continue to impose Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia “until Moscow fully implements the Minsk agreements and returns control of Crimea to Ukraine,” according to the Department Spokesperson.
DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media, which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Saturday, she presents key updates on U.S. foreign policy from the State Department.
Illustration: Pixabay