UNSC meeting on Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Mr. Jeswuni Abudu-Birresborn
Minister Counsellor
New York, New York
June 2, 2023

I thank you for giving me the floor, Madam President. I also thank USG Rosemery DiCarlo for her briefing to the Council and welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea.

Madam President
Ghana is gravely concerned by the DPRK’s launch of a military satellite on 31st May 2023, in contravention of several Security Council resolutions. We deplore the DPRK’s latest actions, call on the DPRK to fully comply with its international obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions and take immediate and concrete steps to deescalate the tensions on the Korean peninsula by refraining from further launches with ballistic missile technology.

Madam President,
The launch of a military satellite is yet another disturbing confirmation of the dramatic acceleration of the DPRK’s weapons programme. It is also a worrying reflection of the DPRK’s resolve to accomplish its 2023 strategic goals set out at the sixth plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea held in January this year. With its current launch, the DPRK has now attempted to accomplish two of those key strategic goals (ie Launch a spy satellite and test a solid-fueled ICBM). The 2023 final report of the 1718 panel of experts makes it clear that the DPRK is working assiduously to accomplish its third key strategic goal which is to exponentially increase the production of nuclear weapons particularly the mass production of smaller, tactical nuclear weapons.

We therefore regret that in the midst of all these rapidly changing developments, which threaten international peace and security, the Council has not been unified in its response, despite the numerous meetings held on the DPRK this year and last year. We encourage all members of the Council to embrace a unified and different approach in order to obtain different results with our engagement on the DPRK file, in our common objectives to achieve concrete progress in furtherance of peace and security on the Korean peninsula.

Madam President,
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 DPRK 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 Korean 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.