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

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

Madam President,
I thank you for giving me the floor and for convening this open meeting. I also thank USG Rosemary DiCarlo for her briefing to the Council.
 
We are meeting today under heavy clouds of escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and the wider Northeast Asia region. These tensions have been occasioned not only by the DPRK’s launch of the Hwasong-17 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile yesterday, but also by its 11 previous launches of ballistic missiles this year alone.
 
The fact that this Council has agreed to meet in open session, after six closed consultations since the beginning of this year, shows the grave concern that the international community has over the situation.
 
The present missile launch represents an end to DPRK’s self-imposed moratorium on ICBM tests and the first long-range ICBM test since 2017. The implications of this new development for international peace and security, including for the DPRK’s immediate neighbours are grave, and we all must acknowledge that. Equally worrying is the fact that the launch was carried out without regard to aviation and maritime safety.
 
Ghana is therefore gravely concerned about this current launch which is in blatant violation of the DPRK’s international obligations as expressed in multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. The reported intention of the DPRK to develop “nuclear war deterrent” in preparation for a ‘long-standing confrontation’ with another Member State goes contrary to its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations which enjoin all Members States to be peace-loving.
 
Madam President,
The actions of the DPRK have heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, at a time when the international community is focused on finding a pathway for dialogue and diplomacy to address the worrying developments in Ukraine and its consequences.
 
In this regard, we urge the DPRK to refrain from further missile test launches and to take the urgent and necessary steps to ease tensions in the region. We also reiterate our call on the DPRK to adhere to the relevant Security Council resolutions. The world can ill afford to have multiple crises at this time, when we are still grappling with the many deaths on both sides of the war in Ukraine, the displacement of more than 10 million people from that country and the transmission of the shocks of food and energy insecurity across several parts of the world with an associated rise in cost of living.
 
Ghana therefore reiterates its call for the resumption of constructive and credible dialogue between the relevant parties and the DPRK to find an enduring, comprehensive, and peaceful solution to the issues on the Korean Peninsula and in a manner that recognises the regional and global security concerns, as well as those of the parties. In this regard, we encourage the US to follow through on its offer of dialogue with the DPRK without preconditions and urge the DPRK to accept the offer in good faith, in support of the cause for peace. That cause for peace cannot anticipate a State with nuclear capabilities on the Korean Peninsula.
 
Madam President,
It is worth noting that while tensions on the Korean peninsula are high, the humanitarian situation in the DPRK continues to be dire. Ghana commends the Council and the 1718 Committee for its proactive approach in addressing the humanitarian situation in the DPRK within the framework of exemptions in the existing sanctions regime and calls on the DPRK to streamline its internal processes to enable the much needed medical and other humanitarian supplies reach the people of the DPRK. We also urge the DPRK to allow the UN humanitarian agencies back into the country. We support efforts by the UN system to re-establish the banking channel with DPRK.
 
We hope that this Council and other relevant parties would be able to act, in a manner that preserves the peace while at the same time ensuring that humanitarian needs of the people of the DPRK are addressed.
 
I thank you for your attention