Delivered by: Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Mr. President,
I thank Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his briefing and welcome the participation of the Republic of Korea here today.
We join the Secretary General in condemning – in the strongest possible terms – the DPRK’s launch of a further Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on 15th March; the tenth of its kind in twelve months.
This missile fell a mere two hundred kilometers from Japanese soil, not only endangering lives, but also putting at risk maritime and aviation traffic.
It was this time last year when the Council met to discuss the DPRK’s first ICBM launch following a hiatus of five years of testing. The DPRK also launched a short-range ballistic missile on 19th March local time demonstrating an alarming escalation of testing.
It is deeply regrettable that the DPRK continues this dangerous and irresponsible behavior, threatening its neighbors, and challenging global non-proliferation norms.
This is not just a threat to the region, but a threat to all of us, and our stability. The erosion of the non-proliferation regime continues to threaten international peace and security.
The DPRK must respect international law and the UN Charter, and abide by Security Council resolutions, and return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Last year we urged the Council to act and not to treat this provocative behavior as the norm.
Unfortunately, a year later, the escalation continues, and we are no closer to stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The UAE calls on the Security Council to unite in condemning such actions by the DPRK.
Mr. President,
The UAE is grateful for the work of the 1718 Panel of Experts. It has extensively detailed the actions by the DPRK to evade sanctions at sea, as well as reporting on the alarming cyber threat actors and activities.
Today, we must bear in mind the clear and detailed information reported by the Panel on how the DPRK’s nuclear posture has shifted to be more aggressive, increasing risk exponentially.
The DPRK’s recent tests of short-range ballistic and cruise missiles for so-called “tactical nuclear purposes” should raise a red flag here.
The Panel of Experts has also reported that the production of nuclear missile materials has continued. This is of critical concern for the Security Council.
Mr. President,
Millions of North Koreans continue to suffer from food insecurity and impoverishment, which has been exacerbated by the DPRK’s COVID-19 measures. We regret to see the leaders of North Korea directing the country’s limited resources towards its illegal weapons programme, while its people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
The UAE continues to believe that dialogue is the only way forward in the Korean Peninsula, both for improving the lives of those suffering and for obtaining true and lasting peace. It is high time for the Security Council to speak with one voice to address this situation and for diplomacy to prevail. We should also encourage the Secretary General to use his good offices on this file, in parallel to other de-escalation efforts.
Thank you, Mr. President.