Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at UNSC emergency meeting on North Korea

Mr President,

We thank the United States, Japanand the Republic of Korea for initiating the Council’s urgent briefing on the recent North-Korean missile launch and the Presidency for promptly convening it. I also thank Assistant-Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca for his briefing on this alarming issue.

Indeed, the beginning of 2017 has already become another unprecedented period in terms of the North-Korean destabilizing and unlawful actions. Recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch on the 3 rd of July, contributes enormously to the growing nuclear threat in the region. Despite immense political and diplomatic efforts to halt the North-Korean WMD programs, we have seen no signs whatsoever of DPRK’s intention to change its behavior. The North-Korean irresponsible policy has already seriously undermined the non-proliferation regime as a whole.

The current developments on the Korean Peninsula raise three rhetorical but also principal questions: Does Pyongyang hear signals from the Security Council? Are these signals strong and clear enough? How much time is left before a North-Korean ICBM is equipped with a nuclear warhead and successfully deployed?

Needless to say, the Council should use every instrument at its disposal to ensure full implementation of its decisions. At the same time, we cannot but recognize that the existing sanctions regime appears to be inefficient in preventing DPRK from acquiring technologies, materials, equipment and financial resources for further development of its nuclear programme.

I wish to recall Ukraine’s previously stated position that the Council should find ways to increase international pressure on the North Korean regime to respond to its reckless behavior which continues unabated. We do believe that only robust decisions and steps by the Council could put an end to the systematic and brutal violations of international law and eliminate the growing nuclear threat on the continent. We also fully share the necessity of further fostering neighbouring states’ defense capabilities against this threat.

We cannot wait until next nuclear test or missile launch. Challenges related to the DPRK nuclear and missile ambitions should be addressed collectively, decisively and without any further delay. We should not allow Pyongyang to continue discrediting the role of the Security Council in the context of global nonproliferation efforts.

Ukraine remains ready for constructive work with all delegations on this issue to ensure positive changes in the current situation and move closer to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Thank you.