S/PV.8019 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Republic of Korea 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/2017/674, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. The Council is ready to proceed to the 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 2371 (2017). I now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the vote.

Exactly one month ago, I came before members of the Security Council and declared that it was a dark day for the world because of the dangerous and irresponsible actions of North Korea. Almost one week ago, I said that the days of talking were over and that it was time to act. Today, the full Security Council has come together to put the North Korean dictator on notice, and this time, the Council has matched its words and actions. Resolution 2371 (2017), which we have adopted today, is a strong, united step towards holding North Korea accountable for its behaviour. Today, the Security Council increased the penalty of North Korea’s ballistic-missile activity to a whole new level. North Korea’s irresponsible and careless acts have just proved to be quite costly to the regime. Today’s resolution is the single largest economic sanctions package ever levelled against the North Korean regime. The price which the North Korean leadership will pay for its continued nuclear and missile development will be the loss of one-third of its exports and hard currency. This is the most stringent set of sanctions imposed on any country in a generation. These sanctions will cut deep, and in doing so will give the North Korean leadership a taste of the deprivation it has chosen to inflict on the North Korean people. Nuclear and ballistic missile development is expensive. The revenues which the North Korean Government receives are not going towards feeding its people. Instead, the North Korean regime is literally starving its people and enslaving them in mines and factories in order to fund these illegal nuclear programmes. Even as famine looms on the horizon; even as the regime continues to ask for international assistance to cope with devastating floods and a possible drought later this year, its displays of aggression take precedence over its own people. Even as we respond to the North Korean nuclear threat, the United States will continue to stand up for the human dignity and rights of the North Korean people. It is the continued suffering of the North Korean people that should remind the Security Council that, while resolution 2371 (2017) is a significant step forward, it is not nearly enough. The threat of an outlaw, nuclearized North Korean dictatorship remains. The unimaginable living conditions of so many of the North Korean people are unchanged. The North Korean regime continues to show that widespread violations of human rights go hand in hand with threats to international peace and security. I thank each and every one of my colleagues who worked so hard to bring this resolution to a vote. I have previously pointed out that China has a critical role to play on matters related to North Korea. I want to personally thank the Chinese delegation for the important contributions it made to the resolution. While the Security Council has done good work, the members of the Security Council — and all United Nations Member States — must do more to increase the pressure on North Korea. We must work together to fully implement the sanctions we imposed today and those imposed in past resolutions. The step we take together today is an important one, but we should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem. We are not even close. The North Korean threat has not left us. It is rapidly growing more dangerous. We have seen two intercontinental ballistic missiles fired in just the past month. Further action is required. The United States is taking and will continue to take prudent defensive measures to protect ourselves and our allies. Our annual joint military exercises, for instance, are transparent and defence-oriented. They have been carried out regularly and openly for nearly 40 years. They will continue. Our goal remains a stable Korean peninsula, at peace and without nuclear weapons. We want only security and prosperity for all nations, including North Korea. Until then, this resolution and prior ones will be implemented to the fullest to maximize pressure on North Korea to change its ways. Today is a good day at the United Nations. We will need many more such days in order to peacefully resolve the crisis that has been created by North Korea’s dangerous and illegal actions. As I have said before, time is short, but today we have taken one step in the right direction. I again thank my colleagues and their teams for their action and support towards sending a strong message to the North Korean regime.

North Korea is no longer a threat faced by a single country or a single region. It is instead a threat that confronts us all. The two tests in the past month were of an intercontinental missile, extending the threat much further than before, to many more countries. In a world where North Korean missile tests seem routine, let me be clear — this is not business as usual. Let us make no mistake. As North Korea’s missile capabilities advance, so too does its contempt and disregard for the Security Council. We must meet this belligerence with clear, unequivocal condemnation and with clear, unequivocal consequences. Today, we have banned North Korean exports of coal, iron ore, lead and seafood. These are the lifeline exports that sustain Kim Jong Un’s deadly aspirations. In simple terms, should the North Korean regime continue its reckless pursuit of an illegal missile programme and a deadly nuclear programme, it will have vastly less resources to do so. We have also capped the number of foreign workers from North Korea. Every year, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sends thousands of ordinary workers overseas. They often endure poor conditions and long hours, and their toil serves to provide critical foreign currency for North Korean Government coffers. This is undoubtedly a form of modern slavery, and today we have taken the first step to ending it. The world will now monitor and curtail work authorizations for these desperate expatriates. And those who are already victims of this abusive system can trust that the United Kingdom will continue to work towards a complete end to North Korea’s institutionalized modern slavery. North Korea bears full responsibility for the measures we have enacted today. By acting in flagrant violation of its legal obligations, and by going against the will of the Security Council expressed in countless resolutions, North Korea has chosen the path it now finds itself on. It is a path that, at a minimum, will lead to further suffering for its own people, and at most could prove to be catastrophic for the whole world. It does not have to be this way. North Korea should forgo the path of provocation — forgo the path of further escalation. There is no reason why the people of North Korea cannot share the normal, prosperous life of their neighbours. The world would welcome them, not threaten them. So in the Chamber, let us once again call on North Korea to halt and reverse its nuclear and missile development programmes. Let us once again call on it to prioritize the well-being of its people over its illegal and destabilizing military programmes. North Korea’s security and well-being do not depend on nuclear weapons. They do not depend on far-reaching missiles. They do not depend on a myth of self-sufficient defiance of the wider world. To live in constant tension with the world cannot be in the interests of North Korea’s regime, let alone its people. We have taken a step forward. We have spoken with a unified voice that we are ready to act in an unprecedented way in response to North Korea’s reckless nuclear pursuit. Every country must ensure that these measures are adhered to. Every country must live up to its word. This time, there is too much at stake. We simply cannot afford to fail.

France welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2371 (2017), which reinforces the sanctions imposed by the United Nations on North Korea as a result of the ballistic missile launches that took place on 3 and 28 July. We thank the United States for its leadership in the negotiations, as well as for its unwavering commitment to this issue, which today is more important than ever for international peace and security. For years, North Korea has pursued the forced development of its nuclear and ballistic programmes, initiated at the highest level of the regime. It seeks methodically to acquire an operational nuclear arsenal, at the cost of the sacrifice of its own population. The launches of the past few weeks have taken us a step further towards the threat posed by North Korean programmes, clearly demonstrating Pyongyang’s determination to bring the entire international community within the reach of its missiles. This is an unacceptable situation, which directly challenges the security of us all. Let us not deceive ourselves — the threat is global, and even beyond this grave and direct threat, it is the entire non-proliferation regime that is in danger, even though it is one of the pillars of our system of collective security. That is why weakness is not an option, and why France has been convinced from the outset that only a position of great firmness can open the way to the political and diplomatic strategy that is itself the only possible outcome to this crisis. In that context, it is more urgent than ever to put an end to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic programmes and bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. In recent months, however, despite repeated warnings, North Korea has persistently ignored every injunction by the Council and has defied the international community as a whole. Considering the seriousness of the threat that is currently hanging over all of us, stamping our authority on the situation is a matter of urgency. Bringing to bear the greatest diplomatic and economic pressure possible is the only way to put a stop to these programmes, bring North Korea back to the negotiating table and promote a peaceful solution to the current crisis. Through today’s resolution, and beyond its unambiguous condemnation of North Korea’s unjustifiable actions, the Council is articulating two complementary actions — punishing a new group of individuals and entities that are central to the functioning of the regime and its programmes, and imposing an embargo on several key sectors of activity, including the capacity to provide the liquidity that Pyongyang needs to finance its illegal programmes. Clearly, these measures, which will probably cut the regime’s income by an amount estimated to be more than $1 billion a year, are likely to change the situation. They emphasize the scope of the tools available to the Council, whose effectiveness is increased tenfold when it takes action and does so unanimously, as it has today. Of course, they are accompanied by humanitarian exemption clauses aimed at minimizing the consequences for the people of North Korea, who are not targeted by these measures. The new resolution’s determined response is also a new warning. This dangerous and irresponsible leap on the part of the regime, whose irrationality is equalled only by its methodical pursuit of its goal, must stop. North Korea must understand that if it continues to choose the road of escalation and provocation, we will have no choice but to ramp up the pressure. And one of the messages that we have unanimously sent today is that we are ready to do that. As we have said a number of times, sanctions are not an end in themselves but a means of forcing Pyongyang to return to a serious dialogue. In the face of the regime’s irresponsible, unjustifiable stubbornness, today we have no alternative to firmness if we are to bring North Korea back to the path of reason and thereby pave the way for a political and diplomatic outcome of this crisis.

Ukraine welcomes today’s unanimous adoption of resolution 2371 (2017) and commends the efforts of the delegations involved in drafting and bringing the text to a vote, under the strong leadership of the United States. North Korea’s advancing nuclear- and ballistic- missile programmes are close to the most significant proliferation challenge of our time. Ukraine firmly condemns Pyongyang’s continuous illegal activities. Besides their highly visible manifestation in the form of nuclear tests and missile launches, it has also crafted an intricate system for evading sanctions in order to circumvent the restrictions and prohibitions already in place. Today’s resolution not only strengthens the existing measures, it reinforces them with additional sectoral and targeted sanctions and clarifies some of the Council’s previous measures. It also unambiguously affirms the Council’s openness to a dialogue on a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the situation on the Korean peninsula and its determination to avoid affecting the North Korean population. Ukraine has always been committed to taking effective multilateral action against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Our collective decision today is a clear demonstration of the Council’s firm and united stance in responding decisively to this threat to the global non-proliferation regime. I would also like to emphasize the importance of ensuring that all Member States implement the Council’s relevant resolutions promptly and comprehensively in order to make the sanctions produce results. We need to act jointly at the global level if we are to eliminate the risk of further provocations and curb the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s rampant nuclear and missile ambitions.

Uruguay voted in favour of resolution 2371 (2017) and welcomes its unanimous adoption by the Security Council. The fact that Council members are united on the issue is crucial to our response to the serious threat that North Korea’s defiant attitude in continuing its nuclear and ballistic-missile programme poses to international peace and security, with two — not one but two — launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles in the month of July alone. That is a clear and flagrant violation of every relevant Security Council resolution. As if that was not enough of an abuse, it also undermines the impulse for the common good and the spirit of peaceful coexistence that govern our Organization. Once again, Uruguay reiterates how important it is to ensure that the Government of North Korea respects all the Council’s resolutions and abandons its nuclear ambitions. As my delegation said recently at the briefing session on general issues pertaining to sanctions, if we are to improve the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions, the sanction regimes must do their job — effectiveness being understood as the ability to ultimately achieve the goals that the sanctions are aimed at. Sanctions regimes should be designed to be a tool that enables the Security Council to achieve a goal. To be effective, that tool should complement others, such as mediation and dialogue. The goal of the sanctions regime imposed on North Korea should be to achieve the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. In that regard, I am referring to what my delegation has already said about the importance of working to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula and making every effort to return to the path of dialogue so as to reach a definitive settlement of this very serious situation. It is also important to ensure a greater commitment and willingness on the part of Member States to comply with international obligations and Security Council sanctions, while at the same time, in this case, avoiding any adverse humanitarian consequences for the civilian population of North Korea. Lastly, I would like to reaffirm that Uruguay is committed and determined to continue working for a peaceful diplomatic and political solution for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

The Security Council resolutions on this subject contain explicit provisions against any launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea using ballistic- missile technology. China opposes the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s launching activities, which violate Council resolutions and defy the will of the entire international community. We have always insisted on the importance of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, upholding peace and stability there and seeking a solution through dialogue and consultation. We have always been firmly opposed to chaos and conflict on the peninsula. In our view, that is what resolution 2371 (2017) is all about. Its unanimous adoption by the Council demonstrates that the international community has a united position with regard to the nuclear issue on the peninsula. There are three major components to this resolution. First, it sets out further sanctions targeting the nuclear and missile programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Secondly, the resolution does not intend to impact negatively activities that are not prohibited by the resolution, such as economic activities and cooperation, or food and humanitarian assistance. Thirdly, it calls for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, commits to finding a solution through peaceful, diplomatic and political means, and stresses the importance of de-escalating tensions on the peninsula by the parties concerned. China believes that these are part and parcel of this resolution, and all parties should implement the provisions contained therein fully and earnestly. China has been making tireless efforts to promote the denuclearization of the peninsula and to uphold peace and stability there. On 4 July, China and Russia issued a joint statement on the issue of the Korean peninsula. Both of our countries put forward a road map for the resolution of this issue, which is based respectively on China’s idea of a due approach, which calls for parallel efforts, while moving forward with both the denuclearization of the peninsula and the establishment of a peace mechanism based on the suspension for suspension initiative, which calls for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to suspend its nuclear and missile activities, and for the United States and the Republic of Korea to suspend their large-scale military exercises, as well as on Russia’s step-by-step approach. This China-Russia joint initiative is realistic and feasible. It aims to tackle both the symptoms and the root causes of the problem and to seek a solution through an integrated approach. We hope that this initiative will receive a response and support from the relevant parties. China has taken note that the United States has recently indicated once again that it is not seeking a regime change or a regime collapse in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and that it is in no hurry to push for the reunification of the peninsula. The United States has also indicated that its troops will not push through the thirty-eighth parallel. It is our hope that the United States will translate these “four no’s” into concrete policies towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Beefing up military deployment on the peninsula is not in the interest of realizing denuclearization there or of maintaining regional peace and stability. The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence missile system will not bring a solution to the issue of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear testing and missile launching. What it will do is seriously undermine the strategic balance of the region. As such, it is detrimental to the strategic security interest of regional countries, including China. China strongly urges the parties concerned to halt the process of this deployment and to dismantle relevant equipment. Realizing denuclearization and durable peace and stability on the Korean peninsula is in the interests of all the parties. China urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to respect Council resolutions and to cease taking actions that might further escalate tensions on the peninsula. We hope that the parties concerned will immediately take effective action to prevent the situation from further escalating, create conditions for the resumption of talks and undertake efforts to bring, at an early date, the nuclear issue of the peninsula back to the right track, that of seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue and consultation.

The Russian Federation supported the adoption of resolution 2371 (2017), on sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We understand the need to halt Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programme, which is unacceptable to us. We share the feeling of neighbouring States in the region. The ballistic missiles launched without warning from North Korea pose a major risk to marine and air transit in the region, as well as to the lives of ordinary civilians. We call on the North Korean Government to end the banned programmes and to return to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency. We also call on that country to join the Chemical Weapons Convention. All must understand that progress towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will be difficult so long as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea perceives a direct threat to its own security. For that is how the North Koreans view the build-up in military activity in the region, which takes on the forms of frequent wide-ranging exercises and manoeuvres by the United States and allies as they deploy strategic bombers, naval forces and aircraft carriers to the region. Another destabilizing factor in the region is the scaling up in the Republic Korea of the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defence missile defence system. We have repeatedly noted that this not only constitutes an irritant, but also undermines the overall military balance in the region and calls into question the security of neighbouring States. We hope that the assurances provided by the Secretary of State of the United States were sincere, and that the United States is not seeking to dismantle the existing situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or to forcibly unite the peninsula or intervene militarily in the country. We are concerned that the paragraph we proposed for the resolution did not receive support. Potential military misadventures on either side are liable to spell disaster for regional and global stability. We stress that the additional restrictive measures imposed through the resolution against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea cannot be an end in themselves. They need to be a tool to engage the country in constructive talks. It is not possible to settle the Korean issue through sanctions and pressure being brought to bear on Pyongyang alone. The resolution must be a part of a political strategy, which is yet to be crafted and agreed on, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must be engaged in this. Sanctions must not be used for the economic asphyxiation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or to deliberately worsen the humanitarian situation. This applies in particular to illegal, unilateral restrictions that strike civilian sectors, which are unrelated to the missile and nuclear programmes of the country. Such sanctions may lead to the significant deterioration of the living conditions of the North Korean people  — incidentally, as United Nations humanitarian agencies are warning about. Experience shows the destructiveness of unilateral measures when sanctions, instead of diplomatic tools, are used as a universal means of settling such issues. It is clear that in order to normalize the situation on the Korean peninsula, we need a comprehensive approach that includes an end to the missile and nuclear tests of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the rejection of a reinforced military infrastructure, and the reduction of the scale of exercises and manoeuvres. There is a need to create trust among States in the region. We must abandon the obsolete, ineffective algorithms for addressing the nuclear problem in the Korean peninsula, and we must address this issue through unique creative approaches. Isolation and pressure need to be replaced by dialogue and negotiations, and that is the thrust of the Russian and Chinese dual suspension and parallel progress proposal. We recall that our countries have drafted a joint road map that prevents the threat or use of force and proposes a comprehensive solution to all problems on the peninsula, including the nuclear one, through political and diplomatic means, without precondition, and through political talks and the resumption of Six- Party Talks. These ideas warrant attention as they represent a possible starting point to break the deadlock and resume negotiations. We must find ways to engage in dialogue with the leadership of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to prompt meaningful dialogue on the nuclear and missile issues. Once again we would like to draw attention to the joint Russo- Chinese statement on the settlement of the situation on the Korean peninsula, dated 4 July. We should like to draw attention to some contentious issues in the resolution. Of course Pyongyang is violating the sanctions against it, but it is not providing the components of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors. There is no direct link between the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and official Pyongyang actions. This reference in the context of sanctions must be ended. This is counterproductive for the resolution itself above all. More than ever before, it is important to jointly seek a political solution to the range of issues plaguing the Korean peninsula. Following the adoption of the resolution today, the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted. We stand ready to work collectively here. At the same time, the United Nations must step up efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The relevant exemptions, provided for in the resolution at our insistence, enable us to further address this.

The delegation of Senegal welcomes the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2371 (2017), on nuclear non-proliferation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as the constructive spirit that prevailed during the negotiations held under the leadership of the United States delegation as penholder. With this resolution, the Security Council has, for the second consecutive time this year and the third time in less than 10 months, strengthened sanctions against the Pyongyang authorities as a logical reaction to the country’s methodical pursuit of its ballistic and nuclear programme. Indeed, the launch of ballistic missiles conducted by North Korea on 3 and 28 July, in deliberate violation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, represents a serious threat to peace and security on the Korean peninsula and beyond. It is also a direct threat to air navigation security and to the security of the millions of people who live, work and travel in the region. There were no warnings or advance notice of the launches, which overshot by far the maritime and aerial jurisdiction of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, affecting other areas that are among the most densely populated in the world. Senegal expresses its deep concern about these actions and wishes to echo the words that our Secretary- General, Mr. António Guterres, addressed to the North Korean authorities, urging them to fully abide by its international obligations in this area in a clear, irreversible and verifiable way. It is for these reasons that the delegation of Senegal voted in favour of resolution 2371 (2017), which, in addition to freezing the assets of and banning travel by certain individuals and entities, imposes bans on the export of coal, iron and iron ore, as well as restrictions on access to the international banking system. The delegation of Senegal will await the report that the Security Council, through this resolution, has requested the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), on non-proliferation in North Korea, to provide within 15 days. The report is to highlight any additional items related to proliferation and conventional weapons that could be added to the consolidated list of measures already taken. Another important element that led to Senegal’s positive vote is the fact that the resolution reaffirms the Council’s resolve to prevent the measures adopted from having any negative humanitarian repercussions on the North Korean civilian population, normal economic activities, cooperation or the provision of food assistance. Senegal welcomes the exemptions granted to activities carried out by diplomatic or consular missions in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as well as those related to the humanitarian assistance provided by the United Nations or in coordination with it. The delegation of Senegal reiterates that this series of targeted measures, taken in order to respond to the challenge represented by the North Korean nuclear and ballistic programme, must be part and parcel of a comprehensive political strategy aimed at engaging the parties in dialogue, with the support of the international community. I therefore reiterate my country’s commitment to a political and diplomatic solution to this issue and express Senegal’s support for the relaunching of the Six-Party Talks, so as to achieve the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and promote peaceful coexistence among the countries in the region, with full respect for each other’s sovereignty and on the basis of the commitments undertaken by the parties in the joint declaration of 19 September 2005. I would like to conclude by reiterating our call on the members of the Security Council and the international community to launch at long last this crucial phase in the situation on the Korean peninsula.

Sweden welcomes the adoption of resolution 2371 (2017) today, which shows that the Council continues to stand united and that we are fully determined to deal with the growing threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes. With this vote, the Security Council continues to shoulder its responsibility and assert its authority with respect to a situation that jeopardizes international peace and security. The latest missile test, again of intercontinental range, is yet another breach of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea international obligations, in defiance of numerous Security Council resolutions. This is a cause for utmost concern for the region and, indeed, for the whole world. The potential dangers are evident, and the threat is growing. We express our deepest solidarity with the neighbouring countries and their peoples, living under the constant shadow of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s threatening behaviour. Sweden therefore condemns the latest tests in the strongest possible terms. We reiterate our call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to cease all development of its ballistic-missile and nuclear-weapons programme. We urge it to take immediate steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of the programme, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions. We further call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to speedily and unconditionally re-engage in a meaningful and credible dialogue with the international community, with a view to fulfilling the obligations laid out by the Council. The international community must, on its part, redouble efforts to effectively and fully implement current resolutions and to act swiftly to implement the new sanctions adopted today. All States Members of the United Nations must do their utmost in this regard. At the same time, sanctions alone will never solve this situation. Sanctions must be accompanied by dialogue and confidence-building measures so as to reach a long-term, sustainable solution. There is an urgent need to avoid escalation and to take steps to prepare for a peaceful, diplomatic and comprehensive solution to the situation on the Korean peninsula, and for the wider region. It is also of key importance to re-establish inter-Korean communication channels. As a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, Sweden strongly encourages the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to resume contact and cooperation with the Commission at the border station in Panmunjom. This would contribute to reducing tensions as well as increase trust and transparency. We must contribute to finding diplomatic openings, and we welcome all initiatives to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue. As we have said previously in the Council, it is deeply worrying that tensions have continued to rise in recent months, and the potential for mistakes, misunderstanding and miscalculation is high. A regional security mechanism should be the medium-term goal. There is no military solution to this situation. We strongly support today’s resolution and stand firmly united with Council members in condemning the actions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. But in parallel, creative diplomacy aimed at bringing about dialogue and negotiations is also urgently needed. We call again on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community.

Italy welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2371 (2017). We recognize the leadership role played the United States on this issue and we thank the United States mission for its untiring effort to bring us to reach today’s important result. Today the Security Council is once again — this is the second time in 2017 — sending an unequivocal message to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (see resolution 2356 (2017)). The international community is united in condemning North Korea’s increasing provocations and is determined to confront this new level of threat to international peace and security by taking further action. As demonstrated by the latest intercontinental ballistic-missile launches, which Italy condemns in the strongest terms, North Korea is advancing illegally towards an operational nuclear capability, severely undermining our collective security and the global non-proliferation regime. This is an extraordinary situation that calls for proportional measures. The resolution that we have adopted today provides for the broadest, most comprehensive set of sanctions to have been applied by the Council in many years. It will remain in force for as long as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to pursue nuclear weapons and their means of delivery. We therefore urge the North Korean regime to take immediate measures to abandon its nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. In consultation with key partners, Italy also stands ready at the appropriate time to support additional autonomous restrictive measures in the European Union context. We reaffirm that the Security Council’s concern is directed towards the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and not its people, who continue to suffer as resources are diverted from economic development towards military, nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes. As in the past, we will remain vigilant in order to ensure that these new restrictive measures do not have any adverse consequences from a humanitarian perspective. While increasing pressure on the North Korean leadership at this juncture is essential, we call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to make credible progress on its obligation to denuclearize, thereby enabling negotiations leading to a peaceful solution as stated in the European Union Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions of 17 July 2017. In this regard, Italy reaffirms that sanctions are not an end in themselves but a means to promote the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s full compliance. Finally, as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), I would like to restate Italy’s unwavering commitment to the full and effective implementation of all Security Council resolutions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We will reach out to the full United Nations membership in order to ensure that these latest measures are applied quickly and comprehensively.

We welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 2371 (2017), condemning in the strongest terms the continuing ballistic-missile tests conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in violation of various Security Council resolutions. The step taken today, imposing additional sanctions measures as a consequence, is therefore proper. It is important that we continue to maintain the unity of the Council in addressing this problem. In our view, this is perhaps the most critical factor that may ensure a breakthrough eventually, if, in addition, the matter is handled with a great deal of care and wisdom. The nuclear- and ballistic-missile-related programmes of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea pose serious threats to regional and international peace and security. It is absolutely crucial that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea immediately cease these provocative actions in order to reduce the tension in the Korean peninsula and prevent its further escalation. That is why we believe taking the measure the Council took today was made unavoidable. It is becoming all the more apparent that this situation could get out of hand if it is not managed properly. We believe it is important to make additional efforts to try to open up possibilities for the diplomatic path towards the resolution of a problem that is indeed both complex and dangerous. One thing is undeniable  — and on this all reasonable people must agree — and that is that there is a need for channels of communication to avoid the risk of miscalculation and reduce tensions in the Korean peninsula. That is why we believe that there is an urgent need for finding a lasting, comprehensive political and diplomatic solution to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea issue through dialogue and negotiation. It is indeed a good thing that the just- adopted resolution takes this into account. This requires that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea return to its international commitments on denuclearization and fully comply with the relevant resolutions of Security Council. Finally, the latest ballistic-missile launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea reminds us that the full implementation of the Council’s resolutions by all Member States is much more critical now than ever before. We believe that Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) and the Panel of Experts that supports it will continue to play a critical role in this regard, and they should be encouraged to further strengthen their engagement with Member States to improve implementation of the measures. Let me conclude by reiterating, once again, Ethiopia’s firm commitment to continuing to work towards the full implementation of these Security Council resolutions, including the one that we have adopted today.

We support the adoption of resolution 2371 (2017), which envisages tough sanctions as a means to persuade Pyongyang to change its course in favour of a nuclear-weapon-free future. The resolution also leaves room for the resumption of dialogue or a six-party mechanism for negotiations. Kazakhstan strongly condemns as irresponsible and dangerous North Korea’s international-range ballistic-missile launches as they undermine our shared international efforts to strengthen regional and, ultimately, international peace and security. Such actions are in serious violation of Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to peace. Furthermore, they destabilize the situation in the North-East Asia region, as well as globally. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s irresponsible policy negatively affects the global process of nuclear non-proliferation and undermines our collective efforts to ensure a nuclear-weapon-free future for the planet. We urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions for the sake of the security and development of its people and for the benefit of all humankind. The threat of the missile and nuclear programmes of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea makes it imperative for all parties concerned to intensify their efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution through the early resumption of negotiations. A solution to this situation is possible only through dialogue and not through any military strategy triggered by the provocative actions of the North Korean authorities.

Japan welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2371 (2017). We would like to express our appreciation to the United States for taking the lead on it. We would also like to thank all other members of the Council for their support and hard work to make today’s adoption possible. The need for the Security Council to strongly condemn North Korea’s nuclear tests and ballistic- missile launches has considerably grown in the past year and a half. Since January 2016, North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests and launched approximately 40 ballistic missiles. The sheer number and frequency show how unprecedented and unacceptable these provocations are. Not only is the quantity outrageous, the qualitative advancements are also deeply alarming. Just last month, we saw two ballistic-missile launches with intercontinental range. The second launch was already more technologically advanced than the first. The footage broadcast on Japanese television of the most recent launch showed that it was visible with the naked eye in Hokkaido as it fell into the sea off the coast of Japan. If the launch had been less lofted, the missile’s range could have covered half the globe. It is abundantly clear that this is an imminent global threat to all Member States, not merely a regional one. North Korea seems determined to continue its nuclear build-up. In March 2016, the Security Council responded to its fourth nuclear test by adopting resolution 2270 (2016), at the time the most comprehensive to date, sending a clear message to North Korea that it must halt its nuclear development. After a fifth test occurred, in September 2016, the Security Council sent an even stronger message via resolution 2321 (2016). Nevertheless, North Korea has continued to ignore the international community’s calls by obstinately forging ahead with its nuclear and missile development programmes. That has resulted in the Council’s adoption of resolution 2371 (2017) today. The resolution is robust and will reduce the North Korean regime’s revenues by approximately $1 billion. It represents an urgent call to North Korea to change its behaviour. At this point, it is clear to everyone that North Korea is nowhere near resuming a meaningful dialogue. If we are to change its behaviour, we have no choice but to continue to increase the pressure. All Members of the United Nations must demonstrate a renewed commitment to implementing the existing Security Council resolutions, including the one we have just adopted, rigorously and thoroughly. Japan will continue to work closely with Council members and all Member States in order to reach a comprehensive solution to the problems related to North Korea.

Bolivia reiterates its firm condemnation of the conduct of nuclear tests and the launching of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and we urge it to abandon its nuclear and ballistic-missile programme fully, verifiably and irreversibly. Bolivia voted in favour of resolution 2371 (2017) today based on its peaceful ideals. We do not believe in war as a way of solving the global problems facing the international community. However, we would also like to make it clear that for the Plurinational State of Bolivia, sanctions should not be an end in themselves. In the situation under discussion, they should help the parties involved to come to the table for dialogue. We also believe that the sanctions we have adopted today should have the smallest possible impact on the civilian population and should not affect the humanitarian situation in North Korea. We urge all the parties involved to avoid escalating rhetoric or action that could increase tensions and put international peace and security in jeopardy on the Korean peninsula. We welcome and reiterate our support for China’s dual-action initiative designed to enable a simultaneous halt to both the ballistic-missile launches and nuclear tests and to the military exercises on the Korean peninsula. We also welcome the fact that today’s unanimous resolution supports that and also requests that the Six-Party talks be resumed. We urge all the parties involved to abandon any kind of military solution and to resume dialogue with a view to reaching a peaceful diplomatic and political solution. In our capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), we would like to point out that the provisions of resolution 1540 (2004) are aimed at establishing a platform of assistance and cooperation among States in order to prevent non-State actors from having access to weapons of mass destruction. We are completely against using it as a way of coercing or directing sanctions against States Members of the United Nations. Lastly, we categorically reject the imposition of unilateral sanctions, which constitute a flagrant violation of international law as illegal measures that extend one State’s internal jurisdiction over another, in violation of the principle of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.

I shall now make a statement in my national capacity as Permanent Representative of Egypt. Egypt joined the international consensus and voted in favour of the Security Council’s adoption today of resolution 2371 (2017), based on our consistent commitment to upholding the credibility of the nuclear non-proliferation system and of the Council and our firm belief in the importance of ensuring that the Security Council and all United Nations bodies and international stakeholders can deliver on their mandates and their responsibilities in this regard, as Egypt is doing. We also believe that all similar threats should be treated with the same level of seriousness as threats in the field of the nuclear proliferation, and that every effort should be made to achieve the universality of the the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, without double standards. Egypt is aware of the threat that North Korea’s repeated violations of Security Council resolutions poses to international and regional peace and security. In that regard, we reiterate our desire to see all the parties concerned commit to working to reach a peaceful settlement to the crisis on the Korean peninsula, exercising restraint, taking steps on both sides to de-escalate the situation and paving the way to a return to the negotiating table, with a view to upholding the interests of all concerned and protecting international peace and security. Once again, Egypt welcomes every initiative and constructive idea that uses negotiation and dialogue to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and, ultimately, either lasting peace or reunification of the two Koreas. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I give the floor to the representative of the Republic of Korea.

I would first like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s important meeting and inviting my delegation to participate in it. Once again, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has turned a deaf ear to the stern warnings of the international community and has responded with even more serious provocations. Along with its nuclear programme, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s missile provocations on 4 and 28 July pose a very serious threat to international peace and security that requires concerted action at the global level. Such reckless acts of defiance to repeated calls from the international community must be met with strengthened measures that can ensure that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will have to bear the consequences of its flagrant violations of international norms and obligations. That is why the Republic of Korea welcomes and fully supports the Council’s unanimous adoption today of resolution 2371 (2017). I would like to take this opportunity to thank the United States for its leadership and commitment, as well as all the other members of the Council, including China, for their spirit of cooperation. Resolution 2371 (2017) introduces robust measures for a sectoral ban that will significantly block the flow into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of hard currency that might otherwise be diverted to its illicit programme of weapons of mass destruction. We believe that these measures will help significantly to curb the ability of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to further develop its weapons of mass destruction-related activities. By unanimously adopting this resolution today, the Security Council has once again demonstrated that the international community will remain strongly united in its commitment to stop the reckless and destabilizing behaviour of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In order to pressure the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to change its course, full and thorough implementation of the Security Council’s multiple sanctions resolutions is of the utmost importance. The Republic of Korea will remain committed to supporting other Member States in their ongoing efforts to fully and effectively implement these resolutions, including resolution 2371 (2017), adopted today. Pyongyang still seems to be operating under the delusion that its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes can ensure its security. On the contrary, its obsessive pursuit of such programmes will only serve to strengthen the already firm resolve of the international community. No matter how far the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea moves in pursuit of its nuclear ambitions, our resolve to stop this will never diminish. Pyongyang should therefore refrain from further testing our robust collective resolve, and I sincerely hope that, by choosing the path towards denuclearization, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will eventually stand on the right side of history.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers.