UNSC Meeting: Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

OPEN MEETING OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON THE LAUNCH OF AN INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE BY THE DPRK

I thank ASG Miroslav Jenca for his briefing to the Council and welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea. We are three months into the year and the DPRK has already launched 11 short range ballistic missiles and two ICBMs, including its most powerful Hwasong-17. This development is a
worrying reflection of the DPRK’s intransigence in flouting the Council’s resolution and its resolve to accomplish its 2023 goals set out at the sixth plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea held in January this year.

The acts of the DPRK to aggressively test, refine and expand its weapons and nuclear arsenal, breaches international law obligations, and the resolutions of this Council. We are gravely concerned by the situation and firmly deplores the DPRKs actions. We reiterate our call for a de-escalation of tensions on the Korean
Peninsula and reiterate our demand to the DPRK to comply with its obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions, refrain from further ballistic missile launches, and return to
compliance with the NPT, as well as IAEA safeguards.

Mr. President,
The instruments of influence that the Council has wielded thus far, particularly its existing resolutions and sanctions have not been fully successful in stopping the DPRK’s weapons programme or eliciting its cooperation. As a Council, we must therefore reassess our approach and recommit to our common objectives to achieve concrete progress in furtherance of peace and security on the Korean peninsula. We believe that a principled and pragmatic approach based on diplomacy, dialogue and trust-building is needed to incrementally foster conditions that allow for constructive engagements between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and other major stakeholders on its weapons programme.

While different stakeholders may have different interests on the situation in the DPRK, it must be obvious that a nuclearized peninsula is in no one’s interest. We must therefore work collaboratively to strengthen the unity of the Council on this matter and act faithfully on behalf of all Member States who have entrusted us with this powerful mandate, to maintain international peace and security.

I thank you for your attention.