[JURIST] The US delivered a list of proposed sanctions against North Korea (DPRK) [JURIST news archive] to the UN Security Council [official website] Monday at a meeting to discuss North Korea's reported underground nuclear testing [JURIST report]. The US proposed a wide range of sanctions, including freezing all assets given to North Korea for its weapons and missile programs, halting the trade of materials which may be used to create weapons of mass destruction, inspection of all cargo to and from North Korea, and prohibiting trade with the country in military and luxury goods. The US has also requested that a resolution sanctioning North Korea fall under Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter [text], which deals with threats to international peace and security and allows the Security Council to impose sanctions, break diplomatic ties with North Korea, and even enforce the resolution with military action.

Security Council experts met late Monday to discuss the proposed resolution after the Council issued a statement "strongly condemning" the nuclear test [UN News report] and urging North Korea to return to six-party talks to resolve the dispute over North Korea's nuclear program. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also issued a statement [text] calling the nuclear test a violation of "international norms of disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as the current international moratorium on nuclear testing." Annan added that he sees the North Korea test "as yet another reason for the international community to renew its collective effort to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force and to make progress towards multilateral nuclear disarmament." AP has more.