S/PV.8507 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2019/302, 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 2464 (2019). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

The United States is pleased to renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts under Security Council resolution 1718 (2006) so that it can continue its important work to strengthen the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea sanctions regime. The full and comprehensive implementation of resolution 1718 (2006) is critical to achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. As such, we call on all States to proactively engage the Panel to support its investigations of sanctions violations. We also urge all States to fully implement all their obligations and work with other States to counter the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s increasingly sophisticated trends in evading sanctions, as stated by the Panel in its latest report (see S/2019/171). We are very concerned about the fact that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to unlawfully obtain refined petroleum products unhindered in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, despite having exceeded the Council’s cap last year by more than seven times. We are also concerned about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s increasing smuggling of coal to sell in nearby countries in East Asia unhindered. All States, especially those in the Asia-Pacific region, must enhance their vigilance and proactively counter the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s illicit activities in and around their territorial waters, using all authorities provided by the relevant resolutions. Finally, we are concerned about the fact that in the light of the sanctions reducing the regime’s access to hard currency, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is expanding its global efforts to conduct cyberthefts to make up for its export-revenue losses. We estimate that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea could be earning hundreds of millions of dollars through those activities each year. All States are vulnerable to that increasing trend, and must do more to protect themselves and prevent the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from undermining the Council’s sanctions.

Russia supported the adoption of resolution 2464 (2019), which renews the mandate of the Panel of Experts on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We hope that in their future work the Experts will be strictly guided by the principles of impartiality and objectivity and operate solely through the use of verified information on a basis of respectful cooperation with all Member States. We share the concerns expressed by the Experts in their most recent report (see S/2019/171), as well as the statements by representatives of many humanitarian agencies working in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with regard to the negative impact of sanctions on the lives of the civilian population, especially the most vulnerable segments of society, women and children. We hope that the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) will consider and reach agreement on practical measures to correct that abnormal situation as soon as possible. Russia welcomes measures aimed at reaching a peaceful solution to the problem of the Korean peninsula, and we are ready to facilitate that. However, an important element for success in that effort is the establishment in North-East Asia of a sustainable security architecture, with the participation of all the countries of the region.

The delegation of Equatorial Guinea is pleased with the initiative to adopt resolution 2464 (2019) to renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts under Security Council resolution 1718 (2006). Today’s resolution is especially important at this juncture in international relations, as it will enable the Panel of Experts to analyse the situation with regard to the activities surrounding the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Security Council previously unanimously adopted resolutions 1718 (2006) and 1874 (2009), both of which condemned the clear violations of the Council’s resolutions and international instruments on non-proliferation that pose a threat to international peace and security, and were aimed at helping the Council to properly carry out its mandate to maintain international peace and security, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. In line with that, paragraph 12 of resolution 1718 (2006) established a Security Council Committee made up of all members to oversee the implementation by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea of the sanctions measures established by the Council, including setting up a Panel of Experts to support the Committee in carrying out its mandate in line with paragraph 26 of resolution 1874 (2009). Both resolutions should help the Council receive a clear answer as to the end of the nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The international community has been responding to the challenges from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by way of sanctions adopted in Security Council resolutions, the latest being resolution 2397 (2017), the harshest to date given its potential reach and how it could affect the economy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Up to now, the eight previous sanctions resolutions do not seem to have thwarted the ongoing nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the way it is thought today’s resolution might. Sanctions against the country seem poised to effectively have the expected impact in the short term with the control mechanism established to date. Nevertheless, the potential tensions, pressure and interests that each State defends in the Security Council are poisoning the work of the Committee and the Panel of Experts, since despite being called independent, the Panel is acting in a way that suggests that it is sometimes taking direction from certain Governments in ways that could lead to partiality in its duties and result in eroding the credibility of its work. I want to remind the Panel of Experts that regardless of the unofficial agreements that may have been reached in connection with its members’ appointments, they should be guided above all by the oath they took to carry out with loyalty, discretion and impartiality the functions entrusted to them by the representatives of our 193 countries and in line with the Charter and regulations of the Organization that employs them. Whatever pressure they may be under, any bad decision by the Committee’s Panel of Experts could lead to erroneous interpretations and onerous and disastrous actions against innocent people, organizations and States. We trust in the professionalism of the men and women who make up the Panel of Experts. They do very difficult and stressful work that we all sincerely appreciate. We ask only that they act with wisdom and impartiality. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea counts on the strategy adopted under resolution 1874 (2009), which set up the Panel of Experts to help the Committee oversee the sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. However, we should also avoid causing a collapse by our actions and ensure that the Security Council and the international community are not responsible for the human consequences of sanctions that do not differentiate between military and civilian targets or between the public and private sectors. The basic human needs in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are important. If we seek only and at any cost to destroy the weapons and the nuclear programme and fail to pay attention to the walking dead and the sick, I do not believe that we will be meeting our obligations to maintain international peace and security. We might destroy the sanctioned weapons, but we will see a desolate nation of corpses, dead of disease and hunger. In a case such as this, will our consciences allow us to sleep easy when we find ourselves alone at night? The 15 representatives here today, those who once sat in these blue chairs and those who plan to occupy them in future, will be responsible for the lives of every innocent man, woman and child dying of malnutrition or disease in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. My country believes that we can achieve both goals. We can be very vigilant with regard to luxury items and fuel going to Government enterprises and to components for manufacturing weapons of mass destruction — through the array of measures to control the non-proliferation of weapons in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — while also allowing the people to receive rice, bread, milk, medicine and infusions, books and toys so as to live dignified human lives. The adoption of resolution 2464 (2019) should mark a before-and-after in the Council’s working methods in terms of how the Committee and its Panel of Experts are managed and informed with respect to the dangerous arms race being led by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. I encourage the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) to continue to attain excellent results.

China supports the ability of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) to undertake its mandated tasks and voted in favour of resolution 2464 (2019), renewing the Panel’s mandate. According to the relevant resolution, sanctions imposed on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea should not impact the delivery of humanitarian assistance to that country. The Panel of Experts and the Committee should act strictly within the parameters of their mandates. All parties concerned should implement the resolutions concerning the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in a comprehensive, complete and accurate manner. The Council should remain united and jointly advance the process towards a political settlement of the issue of the Korean peninsula. There is no alternative to a peaceful resolution to the issue of the Korean peninsula, attained through political dialogue. If the dialogue is to continue and make headway, the key is to address the legitimate concerns of the parties involved in a balanced manner and consistent with the approach of phased, synchronized steps as a package solution in order to advance the process of denuclearizing the peninsula and establishing a peace mechanism there. China has been consistently committed to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, to peace and stability in that region, and to seeking a resolution of the issue through dialogue and consultation. China has been consistent in implementing the relevant resolutions of the Security Council comprehensively and to the letter. China sets great store by the work of the United Nations and other humanitarian actors in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and is ready to continue providing necessary support and assistance. China will continue to engage closely with the parties and play a positive role in achieving the denuclearization of the peninsula and securing lasting peace and stability in North-East Asia.

France welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2464 (2019), submitted by the United States, which I thank for its commitment to this issue. The resolution allows for the renewal of the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), which is responsible, under your presidency, Sir, for the follow-up of sanctions against North Korea. I offer our full support for and gratitude to the German presidency of the Committee and the Panel for their work. The experts, whose commitment I wish to acknowledge, must in particular be able to carry out their activities within the framework of the mandate that we have established and reaffirmed. The 1718 Committee and the Panel of Experts that assists it are the main tools of the Council for verifying the implementation of the sanctions and dissuading all parties, starting with North Korea, from engaging in activities to evade those sanctions. North Korea continues to violate and circumvent sanctions with greater scope and through methods that are increasingly diverse and sophisticated, as confirmed by the latest report of the panel (S/2019/171), published in March. We therefore need more than ever a strict, complete and universal implementation of the sanctions. Such implementation is essential to preserving our leverage in serious negotiations towards the complete, irreversible and verifiable denuclearization of the North Korean territory. France will remain fully committed to that.

The United Kingdom welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2464 (2019), renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts. The work of the Panel is critical in ensuring that sanctions are implemented effectively and in reporting on those areas where sanctions evasions are occurring. The Council agreed unanimously on these sanctions measures and, with the support of the Panel, we must ensure that sanctions are implemented fully, whether that is with respect to imports of refined petroleum or to expelling Democratic People’s Republic of Korea labourers. Some States, including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, seek to blame sanctions for the humanitarian situation. The inadequate provision of humanitarian support and assistance is due to the Government policies of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, not to sanctions. This includes the diversion of billions of dollars towards prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and a refusal to allow the international community to monitor aid distribution. Security Council sanctions resolutions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have been designed with exemptions intended to avoid humanitarian impacts. It is right that we can continue to monitor how effectively the humanitarian exemptions process operates through the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006).