S/PV.9292 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/2023/215, 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 2680 (2023). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

The United States would like to express its appreciation for today’s renewal, for an additional year, of the mandate of the of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006). We are pleased to see resolution 2680 (2023) re-authorize the mandate of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Panel of Experts, which provides credible, fact-based, independent assessments, analysis and recommendations bearing on the implementation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-related Security Council resolutions. That work has never been more important in the light of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s unprecedented number of provocations. And we are pleased to see resolution 2664 (2022) — co-penned by the United States and Ireland — being applied to the work of the 1718 Committee. We discussed several proposals prior to the majority decision to seek a technical rollover. They included concerns about leaks, the inner workings and composition of the Panel of Experts and improving the process of receiving regular assessments from the Panel on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ballistic missile advancements, such as through briefings or incident reports. Although we could not come to a decision on a package that would address all those concerns, we look forward to continuing discussions on those important items through the Committee’s regular business. The mandate renewal resolution reaffirms what multiple resolutions have determined  — that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security. We are happy to see all Council members re-endorse that and look forward to continuing our work to address the threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes.

China just voted in favour of resolution 2680 (2023), on the extension of the mandate of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006). I would like to briefly explain China’s position. As a responsible and permanent member of the Security Council, China supports the full, complete and accurate implementation of the Council’s Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-related resolutions and supports the 1718 Committee and the Panel of Experts in working for the effective implementation of relevant resolutions, in strict accordance with their mandates. With that consideration in mind, China voted in favour of this resolution on a technical rollover. At the same time, I would like to point out that the Council’s resolutions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea clearly provide that sanctions should not have adverse humanitarian impacts on people’s lives in the country. It is disconcerting that for some time now, with the compound effects of sanctions, the pandemic and other factors, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has faced a grave humanitarian situation. That warrants attention by the Council, the Committee and the Panel, along with their corresponding actions. On multiple occasions, China made repeated appeals to that end. During the consultations on the resolution, we also proposed some constructive ideas for revising its content. China notes the efforts of the penholder to address the concerns of the parties. But the main elements of the changes proposed by China were not taken onboard, and some of China’s suggestions on the working methods and performance of the Panel of Experts are not reflected either. We find that regrettable. China hopes that the Committee and the Panel of Experts will work hard in the future to improve in the areas I mentioned and effectively address the relevant issues. China stands ready to continue consultation with all parties and to make joint efforts to that end.

Russia voted in favour of resolution 2680 (2023), which extends the mandate of the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), concerning the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. But at the same time, we find it regrettable that the United States penholder did not incorporate a number of important proposals put forward by our delegation, among others, concerning the need to minimize the unintended adverse impact of sanctions on the population of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as to enhance coordination within the Panel and improve its overall functioning. We believe that those issues need to be carefully considered and addressed in the future. We hope that, under the auspices of the Committee, the Panel will continue to fulfil the duties conferred upon it in an impartial manner, including, most important, assisting the Committee in implementing its mandate.

Let me begin by welcoming the unanimous adoption of resolution 2680 (2023) and by thanking the United States for facilitating the process that led to the renewal of the mandate of the Panel of Experts that supports the work of the Sanctions Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2016). We are also grateful to all the members of the Security Council for their commitment to consensus. The Panel of Experts performs a particularly important task. Its reports are an invaluable source of information for the Committee and for Member States regarding the implementation of sanctions. We thank it for its work and recommendations, particularly at this critical time when the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to significantly accelerate its illicit nuclear weapons programme and when pandemic- related restrictions continue to impede humanitarian access and assistance to the country. Today’s mandate renewal enshrines the implementation of resolution 2664 (2022), which reflects the Council’s efforts to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian assistance.

Japan welcomes the Security Council’s unanimous adoption of resolution 2680 (2023), which renews the mandate of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1874 (2009). During the negotiations on the resolution adopted today there were active and honest discussions regarding the mandate of the Panel of Experts. We acknowledge the different views expressed among Council members and that all views were not necessarily reflected due to a lack of consensus. In that regard, we especially commend the tireless efforts of the United States, as penholder, to maintain unity among Council members and ensure that discussions took place in a balanced and constructive manner. In the face of the ongoing and growing threat to international peace and security caused by North Korea, the role of the Panel of Experts remains critical and is becoming ever-more important. In that regard, Japan notes with appreciation the Panel’s reporting on activities related to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and requests the Panel to continue to provide its expertise and knowledge in a timely manner, including through incident reports and briefings on specific aspects of non-compliance with relevant Security Council resolutions related to North Korea. We also remain concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in North Korea. But at the same time, we should be mindful that it is not the sanctions regime, but rather the North Korean regime, that keeps the situation in this state by diverting its resources away from improving the welfare of the people of North Korea and towards developing weapons of mass destruction and by refusing humanitarian assistance, including aid provided by the United Nations system and aid exempted from sanctions by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2016). Japan reaffirms its commitment to cooperate with the Panel of Experts to ensure the full and strict implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea, while also urging all Member States to fully implement relevant resolutions and cooperate with the Panel and the 1718 Committee to firmly stand against the threat to international peace and security caused by North Korea.