CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT DISCUSSES LATEST SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA

The Conference on Disarmament this morning discussed resolution 2356, adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 2 June, which extends the number of individuals and entities targeted by sanctions first imposed under resolution 1718 of 2006 - an asset freeze and travel ban for those involved in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear-weapon programme.

The President of the Council and delegates expressed deep condolences to the Government and people of the United Kingdom for the loss of lives due to the heinous terrorist attack in London this weekend.

Ambassador Fedor Rosocha of Slovakia, President of the Conference on Disarmament, urged delegates to reach a solution on the way forward and show maximum flexibility and cooperativeness regarding the working group on the way ahead. He reminded the delegates that the working group had been established by consensus and that it would be meeting later today, 6 June.

The United States welcomed the adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution 2356, which had sanctioned additional “North Korean” entities, and expressed hope that Pyong Yang would take note of the unanimous passage of this resolution and end its provocative behaviour. All States should transparently implement the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions on “North Korea”.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, reading out a statement issued Sunday by the Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said that the Security Council resolution was yet another fabricated resolution, which was drafted after long consultations between the United States and China. It was an attempt to disarm the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and suffocate it. The United States wished to maintain supremacy in the most sophisticated weapons in the world and did not allow any other State to test ballistic missiles, which was an example of extreme self-interest. It was a big miscalculation by the countries behind the resolution that thought they could stop the building-up of nuclear forces by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to defend its sovereignty and its right to exist.

The Russian Federation welcomed the President’s will to build a consensus on the Conference’s programme of work. The timetable for the working group on the way ahead was indicative and did not need to be specifically agreed. Russia was prepared to discuss other options but this should be done quickly, considering that the time remaining before the end of the 2017 session of the Conference on Disarmament was rather short.

The Republic of Korea said that the international community had adopted three Chapter 7 resolutions over the past year in which it requested the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to end the provocations. The resolution passed last week was a continuation of this effort, and it was a clear warning that there was only one way out of the threat that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was posing to the international community. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea should give up its ballistic and nuclear programme and comply with the resolution.

China said it was against launch activities carried by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, adding that the resolution by the United Nations Security Council clearly expressed the position of the international community on this subject and reaffirmed the necessity of preserving the security on the Korean Peninsula by diplomatic and peaceful means. It was necessary for all the parties to lower the tensions, adopt the non-proliferation principle, and promote peace talks and a peaceful resolution of the complex and sensitive situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The United Kingdom noted that the United Nations Security Council resolution had been unanimously adopted and had sent a clear message that the international community was united against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea’s continued disregard of international peace and security. The resolution invited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to return to the negotiation table, which was the only way to reduce the tensions on the Peninsula.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea said it strongly rejected the resolution, which was a clear manifestation of double standards by the United States and the Security Council. Permanent members of the Security Council had conducted more than 2,000 missile tests this year, as well as a significant number of satellite launches. If missile tests were a risk to international peace and security, then those States should have been warned as well, said the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, stressing that it was exercising its right to self-defence.

The next public plenary of the Conference on Disarmament will be held on Tuesday, 13 June, at 10 a.m.



For use of the information media; not an official record

DC17/021E