S/PV.7638 Security Council

As this is the first formal meeting of the Security Council in the month of March, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to His Excellency Mr. Rafael Darío Ramírez Carreño, Permanent Representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, for his service as President of the Council for the month of February 2016. I am sure I speak for all members of the Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Ramírez Carreño and his delegation for the great diplomatic skill with which they conducted the Council’s business last month. Adoption of the agenda

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Palau, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey and Vanuatu to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2016/202, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay and Vanuatu. The Council is ready to proceed to a vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2270 (2016). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.

In looking at North Korea, it can at times feel as though one is seeing two entirely different realities. One is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that is expending tremendous resources in pursuing advanced technology to build an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying out a nuclear strike a continent away. The other is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in which, according to a joint assessment conducted by the World Food Programme and the North Korean Government, 25 per cent of children under the age of 5 suffer from stunted growth as a result of chronic malnutrition. One is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in which the Government brags about carrying out nuclear tests proscribed by the Security Council, such as the test carried out on 6 January. The other is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in which individuals must endure the searing pain of seeing generations of their loved ones starve to death, such as the North Korean defector who joined us in the Council Chamber just a few months ago, whose grandmother, father and two brothers had all died because they could not find enough food. On the surface, it can seem as though those distinct North Korean realities have nothing to do with one another; yet, as we all know, they have everything to do with one another — part of the perverse reality that has no equal in this world. The chronic suffering of the people of North Korea is the direct result of the choices made by the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a Government that has consistently prioritized its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes over providing for the most basic needs of its own people. As underscored in resolution 2270 (2016), which we have adopted today, virtually all of the resources of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are channelled into its reckless and relentless pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. The North Korean Government would rather grow its nuclear weapons programme than grow its own children. That is the reality that we are facing. Of course, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s obsessive pursuit of weapons of mass destruction not only causes profound suffering for the people of North Korea, but also poses an extraordinary and growing threat to peace and security on the peninsula and in the region and the world. With each nuclear test and launch using ballistic-missile technology, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea improves its capability to carry out a nuclear-missile attack not only in the region, but also a continent away. That means having the ability to strike most of the countries represented in the Council. Think about that. North Korea is the only country in the entire world that has conducted a nuclear test in the twenty-first century. In fact, it has conducted not one nuclear test but four — in 2006, 2009, 2013 and now 2016. It is also the only United Nations Member State that routinely threatens other countries with nuclear annihilation, including multiple members of the Council on different occasions. Our collective security demands that we stop North Korea from continuing along this destructive and destabilizing course. Yet we have to be honest that while previous multilateral efforts, including the four previous sanctions resolutions adopted by the Council, have undoubtedly made it more difficult for North Korea to advance its weapons programmes, the regime continues to plough ahead, as it has demonstrated over the past two months. That is why the resolution we have just adopted is so much tougher than any prior North Korea resolution and why it goes further than any sanctions regime in two decades. We have studied the ways that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has been able to exploit gaps and evade measures aimed at impeding its nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programmes, and we have put in place new measures to fill those gaps, one by one. Let me give just a few of many examples of how the resolution adopted today does this. North Korea generates a significant share of the money it uses to fuel its nuclear and ballistic- missile programmes by mining natural resources, often exploiting workers in slave-like conditions and selling those resources abroad. For example, it is estimated that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea brings in approximately $1 billion a year in coal exports — roughly one-third of the revenue it earns from exports — and at least $200 million a year in iron ore exports. That is why the resolution we have adopted today limits and, in some instances, bans outright North Korea’s exports of specific natural resources, making it tougher for the Government to get the money it needs to keep funding its illicit weapons programmes. Until today, in many countries around the world inspectors required information providing reasonable grounds to inspect cargo coming into and going out of North Korea. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea therefore took the ballistic-missile parts, nuclear technology and other illicit items it needed to build weapons of mass destruction and buried them deep in otherwise unsuspicious loads on airplanes, ships and trucks coming into the country. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea used similar tactics to hide the illegal items it was exporting, such as weapons, drugs and counterfeit goods, which it used to generate a significant amount of additional income. That is why, under resolution 2270 (2016), cargo going into and coming out of North Korea will be treated as suspicious, and countries will be required to inspect it whether it goes by air, land or sea. This is hugely significant. North Korea used to be able to import aviation fuel, which included rocket fuel used to launch proscribed ballistic missiles. It can no longer do so. The resolution adopted today bans all imports of aviation fuel, including rocket fuel. For years, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea deployed arms dealers, smugglers, financiers and other enablers of its illicit weapons programmes, and claimed that they were diplomats and Government representatives around the world. Abusing diplomatic protections, these individuals cut illicit deals, set up shell companies and procured banned items to aid North Korea’s weapons programme. The resolution adopted today obligates countries to expel any North Korean who carries out such acts, including diplomats of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Despite previous financial sanctions that constrain North Korea’s access to the international financial system, North Korean banks were still able to do business on foreign territory, allowing the Government to fund its illicit programmes. Under the resolution adopted today, States around the world will have to shut down the financial institutions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in their territory. North Korean scientists have used specialized trainings at academic institutions and international research centres to obtain technical expertise that they then put to use to advance the nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programmes of the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The resolution adopted today prohibits the specialized training of any Democratic People’s Republic of Korea national in fields that could be used to advance these programmes, including nuclear- and space-related technical exchanges. As these measures make abundantly clear, the purpose of the resolution is not to inflict greater hardship on the people of North Korea, who endure immeasurable suffering under one of the most repressive Governments the modern world has ever seen. The United States has repeatedly urged the Council to address the human rights violations committed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which the United Nations commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in its comprehensive 2014 report, concluded were widespread and systematic and had been committed “pursuant to policies established at the highest level of the State” (A/HRC/25/63, para. 75). These violations include detaining between 80,000 and 120,000 people in prison camps where, according to the commission’s report, they have for generations been “gradually eliminated through deliberate starvation, forced labour, executions, torture, rape and the denial of reproductive rights” (ibid., para. 60). The Government has carried out enforced disappearances for decades with no accountability, including of citizens from neighbouring countries, whose families continue to suffer from not knowing the fate of their loved ones. The scale and gravity of such abuses are what led us to push, along with our partners, to make the human rights situation in North Korea a permanent item on the Security Council’s agenda, as it now is. North Korea continues to show, as we have repeatedly said in the Council, that Governments that flagrantly violate the human rights of their own people almost always show similar disdain for the international norms that help ensure our shared security. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s abysmal human rights record is another reason why we have taken steps to ensure that the sanctions laid out in the resolution specifically target the Government, which carries out these grave abuses with impunity. It is deeply important that today’s resolution and all the tough measures it includes have been adopted with the support of all 15 members of the Security Council. In particular, the United States would like to recognize the leadership of China, which has worked closely with us in negotiating this extremely rigorous resolution. Beyond the Council, it is worth noting the unanimity among and leadership of the countries of the region — China, Japan and the Republic of Korea — which understand so clearly the threat to our shared security posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s actions. The fact that the resolution has been sponsored by 50 Member States, drawn from every region of the world, demonstrates both the recognition of the global threat posed by North Korea and the international community’s commitment to working together to address that threat. We are clear-eyed about the nature of this regime. We are under no illusions that, following the adoption of resolution 2270 (2016), the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will abruptly abandon its prohibited weapons programme due to a sudden realization that the international community is united in its determination to stop North Korea’s dangerous pursuit of nuclear weapons. Were that to be the case, North Korea would have given up its nuclear- weapons and ballistic-missile programmes long ago. On the contrary, the North Korean Government has shown that it is determined to evade every obstacle put in the way of its singular pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, no matter the consequences for its people. Yet, at the same time, we have seen how the strategy of increasing multilateral pressure can be effective, and that is what we are doing here. Even as we find new ways to impede North Korea’s efforts to advance its nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programmes, as our collective security and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s track record demand that we do, we must not lose sight of the ultimate goal of bringing North Korea back to the table for serious and credible diplomatic negotiations on denuclearization. Achieving that goal will require sustained unity on the part of the Council and the unwavering commitment of all Member States to implementing in full the comprehensive, robust and unprecedented sanctions that we have put in place today.

Since this is the first time that I address the Council under your presidency, Sir, let me congratulate you on Angola’s assumption of the Council presidency for the month of March, and express my full support to you and your mission. (spoke in Spanish) I also wish to express my deep gratitude to Ambassador Ramírez Carreño and his team for their outstanding work in the Council presidency for February. (spoke in English) Japan welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2270 (2016), which is comprehensive and ground-breaking. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the United States for taking the lead. Our appreciation also goes to China for its efforts. I also want to thank the 50 Member States, including 10 members of the Security Council, that co-sponsored this important resolution. Japan also contributed to and co-sponsored the resolution, because it sends a strong and unprecedented message to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Sanctions are important tools for finding a comprehensive solution to a problem, and, to that end, there has to be dialogue. In order for the dialogue to be effective, there has to be pressure at the same time. That is the very reason that we now have this robust resolution. Japan, together with the international community, strongly condemns the repeated violations of Security Council resolutions by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to fully comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions, including the one we just adopted, as well as to honour its other international commitments. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must realize that this message does not only come from the members of the Security Council, but from the international community as a whole. Let us be very clear: no single country in the world supports the nuclear test or ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This resolution includes many important measures, but I want to highlight only some of them. It bans the importation from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of natural resources such as coal, iron, gold and rare earth minerals. It bans supplying the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with aviation fuel, including rocket fuel. And it calls for mandatory inspection of all cargo coming into and out of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. I will not go into further details, simply because the robustness of the resolution speaks for itself. Resolutions and sanctions are effective only when implemented. Therefore, what we have achieved today is not the end, only the beginning. Now we must fully implement the measures set out in the resolution. I take this opportunity to call on all Member States to fulfil their own obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions. I wish to confirm that Japan will fully implement the resolution. In that connection, I would like to propose that the Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) — the Permanent Representative of Spain, Ambassador Oyarzun Marchesi — arrange an open briefing to go through the provisions of the new resolution with all United Nations Members. Sanctions are not the final objective. I would like to draw the attention of Member States, especially that of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to paragraph 51 of the resolution, which affirms that the Council “shall keep the DPRK’s actions under continuous review and is prepared to strengthen, modify, suspend or lift measures as may be needed in light of the DPRK’s compliance”. Depending on the behaviour and attitude of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Security Council is prepared to suspend or lift sanctions. Before concluding my statement, I would like to make clear that these sanctions are not meant to target the ordinary citizens in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We must not forget that the nuclear and ballistic programmes of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are being pursued at the expense of the welfare of the people of that country. We therefore welcome the fact that a stronger emphasis was made in the resolution on humanitarian and human rights concerns, which include the abductions issue, one of Japan’s most greatest concerns with regard to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In order to bring a comprehensive solution to the problems related to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, it is essential that the Security Council remain seized of the situation in that country in all relevant aspects. We will continue to closely cooperate with our fellow partners in the Council and all Member States of the United Nations.

(spoke in French): Allow me to begin by thanking Venezuela for its presidency during the month of February and by wishing every success to the presidency of Angola. I also thank the United States for having presented resolution 2270 (2016), which we have just adopted unanimously. In carrying out its fourth nuclear test, on 6 January, and a long-range launch using ballistic technology, on 7 February, North Korea once again decided to defy the international community. Those two acts, which are seriously destabilizing in effect and in flagrant violation of Security Council resolutions, not only pose a threat to international and regional peace security, but also defy the non-proliferation regime, which is the backbone of our collective security. It was up to the Security Council to challenge that defiance and act decisively by adopting resolution 2270 (2016). Now it is done. Our adoption of this resolution significantly strengthens the sanctions regime and represents a turning point in the Council’s approach to the North Korean proliferation crisis. Several elements are worth highlighting. First, the resolution decides to put in place unprecedented sanctions against North Korea and sends a united and unambiguous message on the part of the Security Council to Pyongyang, namely, that there is a price to pay for the provocations and the irresponsible and destabilizing headlong rush by the Pyongyang regime. Moreover, the sanctions adopted today have targeted goals. They aim, on the one hand, at hindering and putting an end to the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a concrete manner. On the other hand, the sanctions target the diverted revenue of the North Korean regime to fuel the illicit programmes at the expense of the North Korean people, who continue to suffer under the yoke of totalitarianism. Finally, the resolution keeps the door open for dialogue and insists on the need to resume the Six- Party Talks. Our final objective is not sanctions, but rather denuclearization and peace and stability on the peninsula through a negotiated solution. It is up to North Korea to show in a sincere way and through concrete gestures that it is ready to resume dialogue with a view to giving up its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. The spiral of provocation leads us to an impasse and offers us no other option than to strengthen sanctions, as a means and not as an end of themselves. Dialogue and negotiations, based on a very firm position, are the only viable option to ensure the full and verifiable denuclearization of the peninsula. Owing to all of those reasons, France voted for the adoption of this resolution, co-sponsored it along with approximately 50 Member States and will continue to be mobilized to ensure its full implementation.

On 6 January, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in defiance of the universal opposition of the international community, once again conducted a nuclear test, and on 7 February used ballistic technology to launch a satellite in a series of violations of the relevant Security Council resolutions. China has expressed its explicit opposition to those actions. China has always insisted on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, insisted on the maintenance of peace and stability on the peninsula and insisted on resolving problems through dialogue and consultations. Resolution 2270 (2016), adopted by the Council today, embodies the principles inherent in those three “insists”. The resolution demonstrates the international community’s seriousness in opposing the further development of the nuclear and missile capacity of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and safeguarding the international non-proliferation regime and reaffirms the commitment to seeking a solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula through dialogue and consultations and to supporting the resumption of the Six-Party Talks and the Joint Statement of 19 September 2005, thus facilitating the effort to seek a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. China has always advocated for the peaceful settlement of international disputes and hot-spot issues through political and diplomatic means such as dialogue and negotiations. Sanctions are not an end in themselves, and Security Council resolutions cannot fundamentally resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. Today’s resolution should be a new starting point, paving the way for a political settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. History has demonstrated repeatedly that dialogue and negotiations represent the only right way to address the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula if we are to achieve an early improvement of the situation on the ground and explore viable ways to resolve the matter. China urges the parties concerned to push forward in parallel the negotiations to advance denuclearization and replace the peace armistice mechanism with a peace mechanism. While keeping the general direction of denuclearization, this approach accommodates in a balanced way the main concerns of the parties involved, helps find a way towards the resumption of talks and is practicable. China is willing to work with the parties concerned to explore in depth specific steps to put this idea into practice and hopes that all parties concerned will work together to this end. As a close neighbour to the Korean peninsula and a State that bears an important responsibility for stability there, China has always insisted on the overall goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, opposed conflicts and chaos in that area and worked to safeguard the legitimate security interests of itself and other countries of the region. At this moment, all the parties concerned should avoid actions that will further aggravate the tensions on the ground. China opposes the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system on the Korean peninsula because such an action harms the strategic security interests of China and other countries of the region, goes against the goal of maintaining peace, security and stability of the peninsula and will seriously undermine the efforts of the international community to find a political solution to the question of the Korean peninsula. Currently, the situation on the Korean peninsula is highly complex and sensitive, which makes it all the more necessary for us to keep calm and use diplomatic wisdom. China hopes that the parties concerned will meet China half way, always keeping in mind the overall need to maintain the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and North-East Asia, make determined efforts to the dispel the dark cloud of war, pool our wisdom and actively seek common understanding and work together for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. China will continue to take a responsible approach to enhancing communication and coordination with the parties concerned and play an active and constructive role for an early realization of lasting stability and peace on the Korean peninsula.

The Security Council has just unanimously adopted a new resolution that tightens the international sanctions regime against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (resolution 2270 (2016)). This resolution resulted from the fact that over the past two months the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s has undertaken banned military activity in the form of conducting a nuclear-weapons test and launching a ballistic missile, thereby raising tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the region as a whole. The Russian Federation strongly condemns the violation by Pyongyang of resolutions of the Security Council. Today it is important to focus on what happens after the adoption of the resolution. The set of sanctions envisioned is quite harsh. However, the document does leave open the possibility for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to return to the Six-Party process, which should be urgently resumed. Sanctions in this case are not an end in themselves, but rather a means. By shutting down the financing of nuclear and ballistic- missile programmes as much as possible, we intend to ensure a return to the negotiating table to take up all issues of concern to all the interested parties. The Russian Federation remains convinced that there is no alternative to a political and diplomatic solution to the issue of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Russia is very seriously worried about the negative trends and the way the situation in North-East Asia has been developing. We are concerned about attempts to use the actions of Pyongyang as a justification for military build-up in the region, including of offensive weapons and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence anti-missile system. The resolution we have adopted today should not be used to choke off the North Korean economy. In that regard, we are concerned about the hasty introduction, even before today’s resolution was adopted, of unilateral sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which could have very negative humanitarian consequences for the many millions of inhabitants of the country, especially those who are most vulnerable. The international community, and first and foremost those humanitarian organizations that are providing assistance and technical support to Pyongyang, should pay special attention to this aspect. The events of the past year show that even the most complex international crisis situations can be resolved through cooperation and dialogue and when there is political will by all parties to find mutually acceptable solutions. We call on all participants of the Six-Party Talks to resume the talks as soon as possible. Russia is ready to engage in this kind of cooperation.

The United Kingdom strongly supports the unanimous adoption of resolution 2270 (2016). I join my colleagues in welcoming the robust new measures that it brings into force, thanks to strong and united action by the Security Council. This resolution is a step change. It contains some of the toughest measures the Security Council has ever taken. It addresses the will of the Council as we expressed in our press statement of 6 January 2016 (SC/12191), the day that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced it had conducted its fourth nuclear test. Since then, on 7 February, we saw the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conduct a satellite launch using ballistic-missile technology. Those events were clear and deliberate violations of previous Security Council resolutions. We could not allow them to pass without a robust response. We must deter and impede the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from continuing to pursue such illegal actions. We remain deeply concerned by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s continued development of nuclear and missile programmes. It is in flagrant defiance of the Security Council’s resolutions and flies in the face of international condemnation, and it means that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea regime has even fewer national resources available for the health and welfare of its people. Resolution 2270 (2016) is not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences for the country’s civilian population. The resolution is not intended to negatively affect activities not prohibited by this or previous Security Council resolutions. The resolution is not intended to negatively affect the work of international organizations or non-governmental organizations carrying out assistance and relief activities in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Taking this intention into account, it is clear that the resolution’s provisions, including on the export of aviation fuel, are not intended to curtail legitimate humanitarian and diplomatic activities in the country. The Council will need to be vigilant in that regard. Additionally, we note for clarification that the new provisions on cargo inspection are consistent with the obligations set out in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Finally, we again welcome the resolve of the Council in expediting this robust new resolution. We strongly encourage all States to implement its provisions in full. And above all, we continue to urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to return to credible and authentic multilateral talks on its nuclear programme, to abide by its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to commit to full access by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Spain had no doubts about co-sponsoring resolution 2270 (2016), for three reasons. First, in recent years the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has, on various occasions — probably too many — shown an unequivocal determination to develop its nuclear programme as well as its missile technology, thereby breaching the international non-proliferation regime and repeatedly violating Security Council sanctions. The Council, as a consequence, is obliged to react for two very important reasons: first, because this implies the practical development by North Korea of a military capacity, which is very seriously threatening peace and stability on the peninsula and in the region; and, secondly, because resolution 2094 (2013) states clearly the Council’s determination to adopt further significant measures if the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea carries out a new missile launch or a nuclear test. We therefore had no other choice than to comply with what is established and to adopt these further significant measures. Secondly, as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), Spain has a special responsibility to ensure that Security Council decisions are complied with with due effectiveness, transparency and rigour. That is why we will be providing an open briefing to the membership over the next few days. Member States have concentrated their efforts in this area, but we must be honest and acknowledge that the previous sanctions regime was not as effective as it could have been in that it was not able to prevent the North Korean regime from continuing with its arms-development programme. We believe that this new resolution will be a useful tool for achieving this efficiency and, of course, as Chair we will work closely with other members to ensure the practical implementation of measures that will ensure the achievement of the ultimate goal of these measures: that North Korea once again becomes part of the non-proliferation regime, thereby guaranteeing peace and stability on the peninsula. Finally, I should like to touch on what may be a very important idea with regard to the future, and I should like to stress that this idea was already mentioned by certain speakers: namely, that the sanctions are not a goal but a means of achieving lasting peace and stability. Nor are they in any way a punishment of the population. The sanctions are designed to have an effect on the elites of the regime, not its citizens. We are convinced that only a radical change of attitude on the part of the Government of Pyongyang can offer people the opportunity that they deserve: nothing more than the ability to live a normal life.

I should like at the outset to take this opportunity to wish you every success, Sir, in your functions as President of the Security Council during the month of March and reiterate to you our full support for all of your initiatives and endeavours. Resolution 2270 (2016), which the Security Council has just adopted, condemns the nuclear test and the launching of a rocket with ballistic-missile technology carried out by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in January and February, respectively. It stresses the concern of the international community at the negative consequences of these acts for international peace and security, in particular on the Korean peninsula, which increases the risk of a possible confrontation. The seriousness of these events requires the Security Council to redouble its efforts to promote dialogue and negotiation between the parties in order to contribute to a negotiated solution to this crisis. In this context, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, committed as we are to non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and the need to focus on the consensus reached among the countries of the region, voted in favour of the resolution because we believe that the implementation of the measures set out in the resolution and in other Security Council resolutions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea should have the single objective of helping to find a political peaceful solution to the issue of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, with the aim of strengthening peace and stability in the region. The measures set out in the resolution must be applied in a responsible and transparent manner, with a view to achieving specific goals, in keeping with the principles of international law and with clear benchmarks for their lifting if the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea complies with the demand that it put an end to its nuclear programme. This is not about undermining a Government or punishing its people, but about making progress in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. We therefore need to ensure that the measures emanating from this resolution do not have negative humanitarian consequences for the civilian population and do not affect their human rights or the well-being of the North Korean people. In this regard, we are concerned that the restrictions imposed on imports of raw materials into the country could have an impact on the population. We also believe that these exceptional measures on this issue must not serve as a precedent to limit the right of States to the sovereign use of their natural resources for their own economic and social development in accordance with General Assembly resolution 1803 (XVII). We call upon all parties to act with caution in order to avoid an escalation of tensions in the region that could degenerate into an armed conflict. In this regard, we should work hand in hand, with a comprehensive focus on various mechanisms and formulas, so as to gradually build an environment for dialogue that will lead to peace, with the aim of strengthening the basis for a negotiated and sustainable resolution of the issue, in order to preserve and guarantee the stability of the Korean peninsula. The implementation of the measures listed in resolution 2270 (2016) should in no way hamper the cooperation provided by international organizations to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea aimed at creating the conditions for stability and well-being that are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations between countries, such as those established by Chapter IX of the Charter of the United Nations. In this regard, we appreciate the efforts of the multilateral organizations that have provided technical assistance to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and that continue to back projects aimed at promoting human development, the achievement of the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals and increased food security for vulnerable groups in rural areas in the country. In conclusion, we reiterate our call to Member States that have influence in this sphere to undertake the efforts necessary to promote a climate of trust that will help to break the impasse in a peaceful and constructive manner, through the relaunching of the Six-Party Talks as the most important mechanism for easing tensions on the Korean peninsula and the only way to peacefully resolve these differences. The initiatives taken to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and to maintain peace and security there through diplomatic measures and political negotiations constitute the path that should be followed so as to build a lasting peaceful solution.

Let me congratulate you and wish you, Mr. President, every success on Angola’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council in March. I also wish to congratulate Ambassador Rafael Darío Ramírez Carreño on a successful and productive Venezuelan presidency in February. I join other colleagues in expressing appreciation to the delegations of China and the United States, as well as all Council members, for the tremendous work leading to the adoption of resolution 2270 (2016). Malaysia welcomes the adoption of this very important text. Given the far-reaching implications of the resolution, we would have preferred ample time to consider the text. However, considering the exigencies involved and the need for proper consultations with our respective authorities, we had to expeditiously work to ensure that the spirit and intent of the resolution were appreciated, so that it could be adopted in a timely manner. Malaysia unequivocally reaffirms its belief that illicit development and procurement of weapons of mass destruction and related technologies and capabilities by any State is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated by the international community. Such activities undermine the work and commitment of all Member States to peaceful relations with each other and to the peaceful resolution of conflict. Those are our core values. It is for that reason that Malaysia voted in favour and co-sponsored the resolution. The Korean peninsula has gone through a periodic cycle of ups and downs. It would benefit from more predictability of inter-State behaviour through greater engagement and dialogue. It requires a change of attitude and embracing more trust to pursue all peaceful means of resolving the outstanding issues between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its neighbours and other interlocutors, not just for the sake on securing peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and the wider region, but equally, if not more important, so that the benefits of enduring peace, security and stability could prosper the nation and the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Malaysia remains convinced that the interests of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its grievances could be best served by its return to the negotiating table. We call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to recommit itself to the resumption of peaceful dialogue and negotiations under the six-party talks framework. As others in the region have reaped the seeds of mutual trust, cooperation and prosperity sown before, so too should the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea enjoy such benefits of sustained peace and socioeconomic development. It could learn from the economic success stories of its immediate neighbours. The inclusion of language safeguarding humanitarian exemptions in the text is a crucial element. It will prevent the effects of possible unintended consequences against legitimate interests, particularly related to the livelihoods and the humanitarian situation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea population. We are fully supportive of that. Malaysia wishes to underscore that interpretation of relevant provisions in the resolution must not be a pretext to disrupt diplomatic access and further impede the conduct of legitimate diplomatic and humanitarian activities in the country, as stipulated under the Vienna and Geneva conventions respectively. Our primary goal is to see the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. We must not be diverted from that goal. We wish to see the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea return to the negotiation table and embrace change that builds trust to pursue shared security and prosperity through international cooperation. As a member of the Council, we remain committed to doing our part, including through the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) concerning the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

We too congratulate Angola on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. New Zealand welcomes the adoption of resolution 2270 (2016), imposing strengthened and expanded sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Our long-standing commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons is well known. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s continued pursuit of its nuclear weapons programme, as demonstrated by its most recent nuclear test and ballistic-missile launch, represents one of the most serious threats to the international nonproliferation regime. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s actions stand in defiance of international law and the Council’s resolutions. When the Council met on 6 January, following the latest nuclear test, we committed to beginning work immediately to agree further significant measures in response. Today’s resolution represents the fulfilment of that commitment. New Zealand co-sponsored today’s resolution in recognition of the continued threat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s actions pose to international peace and security and to the security of our Asia-Pacific region. We do so with a heavy heart, wishing that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would choose a path of providing for the well-being and basic needs of its citizens, rather than preoccupying itself with the development of a nuclear weapons programme. The measures contained in the resolution will send a clear message to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, specifically that it will not benefit from its provocative and combative behaviour and that the best path available to it is a return, in good faith, to negotiations on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We commend the United States and China for the leadership they have shown in preparing the measures contained in today’s resolution. It is now incumbent on all Member States to ensure they are implemented fully and effectively.

Let me begin by warmly congratulating you, Mr. President, on Angola’s assumption of the presidency for this month and also by expressing our deep appreciation to Ambassador Ramírez Carreño for his leadership during the month of February. At the outset, I would like to commend the efforts of both the United States and China in drafting and putting on the table the text of resolution 2270 (2016) in response to the recent nuclear test and rocket launch of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We appreciate the convening of the expert-level meetings on 25 and 26 February by the delegation of the United States, so that each Council member had an opportunity to raise any questions related to the resolution and its annexes. We consider the resolution just adopted to be a comprehensive and balanced document that, on the one hand, strengthens the existing regime and reinforces it with additional sectoral and targeted sanctions and, on the other, clearly demonstrates the Council’s openness to dialogue on peaceful and diplomatic solutions to the situation. Such an approach fully corresponds to the Council’s intention to avoid both affecting the humanitarian situation in North Korea and aggravating tensions on the peninsula. Moreover, the document reflects the findings contained in the reports of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1874 (2009), which in our opinion only strengthens the rationale behind new sanctions. Ukraine has always been committed to effective multilateral action against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Our collective decision today is a historic step which clearly demonstrates the Council’s consolidated and firm stance to respond decisively and eradicate any threat to the global non-proliferation regime. Ukraine is honoured to co-sponsor the resolution, which, as we all hope, will become one of the defining documents in putting an end to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s illegal activities in defiance of every international law principle.

Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for this month. I wish to also take this opportunity to thank the Permanent Mission of Venezuela for its presidency of the Council last month. At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation to the United States for its efforts in preparing resolution 2270 (2016), which has been adopted today, and to China for its diplomatic and political efforts aimed at restoring stability to and ensuring security on the Korean peninsula, as well as for its support of the preparation of the resolution. Today’s unanimous adoption of resolution 2270 (2016) sends the strong message that the members of the Security Council do not accept the recent actions undertaken by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, be it the conduct of nuclear testing or the launching of ballistic missiles, which represent breaches of the relevant Security Council resolutions and international legitimacy and undermine the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in its entirety. I also wish to register our satisfaction with the balanced language of the resolution, which takes a political direction with regard to the resumption of the six-party talks and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, while also taking care to avoid aggravating the humanitarian situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. My delegation is of the view that the resolution constitutes a step on the long road to prevent circumvention of the NPT. Egypt has repeatedly warned against the use of double standards with regard to challenges to the Treaty and denuclearization. One State in the Middle East remains outside of the Treaty. The members of the Security Council are well aware of the abysmal failure of the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to produce an outcome document, due to the double standards applied by certain influential international parties. Neither Egypt nor the States of the Middle East will ever accept this state of affairs. The adoption of resolution 2270 (2016) is an optimal opportunity to remind the international community and the members of the Council of that fact, and calls upon them to fulfil their responsibilities on that score.

The delegation of Senegal congratulates Angola, a brotherly and friendly African country, on its assumption of the presidency for the month of March. We also take this opportunity to congratulate Angola’s predecessor, Venezuela, for the excellent way in which it conducted the work of the Council last month. Senegal champions the ideal of a world without nuclear arms and calls for the total prohibition of nuclear testing and the launching of ballistic missiles. It was in that spirit that Senegal co-sponsored and voted in favour of resolution 2270 (2016) in order to condemn the recent activities of North Korea, which constitute a threat to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Senegal therefore welcomes the unanimous adoption of the resolution because, among the new provisions contained therein, there are restrictions on the export of certain minerals and other rare metals, unless the funds generated by those exports are used for the subsistence of the North Korean population and not to fund Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic- missile programmes. We also note the prohibition on the import of aviation and rocket fuel, as well as the complete embargo on arms. Moreover, we stress that all goods destined for North Korea will undergo stringent inspection, which will without a doubt make it possible to increase pressure on the regime, in particular since the resolution steps up sanctions on banks and foreign assets and introduces restrictions on air links to North Korea. The resolution imposes new trade restrictions and prohibits vessels suspected of transporting illegal cargo to North Korea from entering ports. As we have all observed, the text significantly strengthens already existing sanctions against Pyongyang due to the fourth nuclear test and the missile launches of 6 January and 7 February 2016, respectively, in violation of several Security Council resolutions. We hope that the persons and entities newly added to the sanctions list, including North Korea’s space agency and intelligence services, as well as the new measures referred to previously, will strengthen the effectiveness of the sanctions regime this time. Indeed, the previous sanctions did not prevent the progressive improvement and expansion of the nuclear and ballistic missile capacity of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which continues to flagrantly violate the resolutions and repeated demands of the Council to respect its international obligations in this area in a clear, irreversible and verifiable manner. In conclusion, my delegation should like to stress that sanctions are not our objective; better yet, they are a means or a lever available to the Council to maintain international peace and security. We hope that these measures will contribute to the strengthening or, more specifically, the resumption of talks in the Korean peninsula for the good of the international community.

At the outset, I should like to congratulate Angola on assuming the presidency of the Council in March. I also wish to thank our dear friend Raphael and the entire Venezuelan delegation for their excellent leadership of the Council during the month of February. Uruguay co-sponsored resolution 2270 (2016) and welcomes its unanimous adoption. I should like to make a general comment using the Toledo formula that our friend Mr. Román Oyarzun Marchesi urges us to use. As such, I will not repeat all that has been said by other members with regard to the failure of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to honour its international obligations or some of the comments made by other colleagues with regard to the aims and content of the resolution. I will limit myself simply to saying that my delegation’s support for the resolution is based on our conviction that the implementation of new sanctions will not cause direct harm to the civilian population, whose humanitarian situation is already deplorable and in need of the immediate attention of the international community. We also echo the call made by other delegations with regard to the responsibility of all Member States to ensure the strict compliance of the provisions of resolution 2270 (2016). Furthermore, I reiterate that Uruguay is fully committed to continuing to work towards a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to achieve the denculearization of the Korean peninsula. Lastly, for my second general comment, I note that, as we understand it, the Security Council will have to continue working to ensure that the negotiating process that precedes the adoption of resolutions is more transparent and inclusive.

I shall now take the floor in my national capacity. I would like to start by thanking all representatives who have expressed good wishes to our delegation as we assume the presidency for the month of March. Angola voted in favour of resolution 2270 (2016), joining the international consensus on the need to prevent nuclear proliferation because of the threat it poses to international peace and security. Angola views with concern the recent test and ballistic- missile launches, despite all the efforts deployed by the international community and incentives afforded to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to change its nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programme, which endangers security and stability in the Korean peninsula. By unanimously adopting resolution 2270 (2016), the Security Council is sending a clear signal of the international community’s outright rejection of nuclear proliferation, and it is an additional deterrent to the violation of the international non-proliferation regime. The negotiations on the resolution tried to strike a balance between the need to impose measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for its nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes while avoiding the imposition of general punishment on the people of North Korea and the wrecking of their basic livelihoods. Morever, the resolution leaves open a window of opportunity for negotiations in resolving the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear issue, which we would like to see all parties concerned take advantage of. Such negotiations are far more suitable, given their constructive nature and the fact that this is a problem that needs to be resolved through dialogue aimed at a constructive outcome. Finally, we call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to negotiate a solution to this issue within the agreed frameworks with a view to breaking its isolation and reaping all benefits as a rightful member of the international community. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I now give the floor to the representative of the Republic of Korea.

I would first like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Council this month. The Republic of Korea welcomes and supports the unanimous adoption of resolution 2270 (2016) today. We thank the United States for having taken the initiative on this resolution and the People’s Republic of China for having engaged in lengthy consultations, as well as all other members of the Security Council. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s latest nuclear test and long-range missile launch are grave violations of the relevant Security Council resolutions. They pose a clear threat to international peace and security. They are by far the most serious provocations of their kind, as they show that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is advancing closer to a comprehensive and operational nuclear weapon capability. A nuclear- armed North Korea would seriously impair the regime of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and could induce an arms race in the region, undermining the security of the whole world. The international community is therefore at an important crossroads. If we cannot stop the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea now, then it may soon reach the point of no return. We must act quickly and decisively to prevent this from happening. Today’s resolution introduces one of the most robust sanctions regimes in the history of the United Nations. Its unanimous adoption demonstrates the firm, united resolve of the whole international community that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s weapons of mass destruction programmes will never be tolerated. These measures, when fully implemented, will impede the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s weapons of mass destruction-related activities in all aspects, leaving Pyongyang with no other option but to choose denuclearization. We have seen in the past how effective sanctions can lead to change of policy in other contexts. As noted in the resolution, it is deplorable that the DPRK is diverting its scarce resources to the development of weapons of mass destruction while its own citizens are suffering abject poverty and human rights abuses. As pointed out by members of the Council, while the sanctions set out in this resolution are most comprehensive in scope, they do not target the North Korean population or intend to negatively affect their livelihood. On the contrary, they explicitly target the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction by the regime that is causing the hardship of the North Korean people. We hope this resolution will help alleviate their plight. Finally, as a fellow Korean, I would like to say a few words in appeal to those who are ruling North Korea. I would say, in Korean, “please, stop it now”. I would ask them: Why do you need these weapons? In South Korea we do not have a nuclear bomb. As we border each other, you do not need an intercontinental missile if you are targeting us. Why do you need these weapons? You say that the United States is a threat to you. Why would the United States threaten you? Why would the strongest military Power in the world threaten a small country far across the Pacific? There is no threat. It is a figment of your imagination. If you continue in this way, the only people who will suffer from what you are doing are your own people, and they are also my people, and our people as well. So please, wake up, open your eyes, look out at what is happening in the world. Give up the nukes. Join the rest of us in the world and we can all live together in safety and peace.”