The United Nations Security Council has approved a resolution establishing a framework through which the international commmunity can crack down on Somali pirates and better enforce the UN arms embargo on the country.

The resolution, approved in New York on Thursday, laid out a basis for listing individuals who are judged to be destabilizing Somalia with a view to banning them from travelling and freezing their assets.

The resolution noted that piracy may be playing a role in financing violations of the arms embargo established by an earlier Security Council resolution. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said this week that pirates had extorted U.S. $30 million in ransom money this year.

Responding to questions on the issue, the British ambassador to the UN, Sir John Sawers, told journalists at the UN that the resolution would help efforts to pursue leads to establish where the proceeds of piracy were being kept and freeze the money.

He said the resolution was aimed at individuals who obstructed the peace process, blocked the delivery of aid or broke the arms embargo established by an earlier Security Council resolution.