[Al Arabiya Latest] A draft U.N. Security Council statement "condemns" North Korea's long-range rocket launch Saturday and said it contravened a previous council resolution banning ballistic missile and nuclear tests by Pyongyang.The draft statement, which the five permanent members of the Security Council and Japan agreed and circulated to the other nine council members on Saturday, also called on the U.N. sanctions committee to take steps to enforce existing sanctions against North Korea. To be adopted, such a declaration requires unanimous approval from the 15 members.
"The Security Council condemns the 5 April 2009 launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which is in contravention of Security Council resolution 1718," the U.S.-drafted statement said.
Resolution 1718, passed shortly after Pyongyang's Oct. 2006 nuclear test, forbids North Korea from launching ballistic missiles or carrying out further nuclear tests.
"The Security Council demands that the DPRK not conduct any further launch," it said.