The UN Security Council today votes to impose mandatory inspections of any cargo vessel leaving or entering the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The agreement would require all UN member states to inspect cargoes leaving from or heading to North Korea. As well as searching for concealed weapons shipments, contraband under the new agreement includes exports of coal, iron, iron ore, gold, titanium and rare earth minerals from the country, the proceeds from which, the US believes, fund the DPRK's missile programme. Imports of aviation fuel, including rocket fuel, would also be banned.
