Joint statement by Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, along with the Permanent Representatives of Albania, Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom followed by brief questions from the media.
In a statement on behalf of several members of the Security Council, United States ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) recent missile launches “demonstrate the regime’s determination to pursue weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes at all costs, including at the expense of its own people,” and stressed that the country’s “unlawful behaviour is a threat to international peace and security.”
Speaking to reporters in New York today (20 Jan), Thomas-Greenfield said the DPRK itself has confirmed four ballistic missiles launches in the past two weeks, adding that the launches used technology that violates Security Council resolutions.
Delivering the remarks on behalf of Albania, Brazil, France, Ireland, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and her own country, Thomas-Greenfield the countries call on their fellow Security Council members “to be unified in condemning the DPRK for its acts in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.” She said, “It is this unity, in speech and action, that has helped in the past bring the DPRK to the negotiating table and could advance stability for the region and international community.”
The countries also called on all UN Member States to implement resolutions, which have been unanimously adopted, and which call on the DPRK to abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.
The US ambassador said, “It is extremely important that Member States take the necessary steps to implement the sanctions in their jurisdictions, or risk providing a blank check for the DPRK regime to advance its weapons programme.”
Thomas-Greenfield said the group of Council members would continue to speak out against the DPRK’s “destabilizing actions as affronts to regional and international peace and stability.”
She added, “We call on the DPRK to cease these unlawful actions and return to dialogue. We stand ready to support a meaningful return to engagement and diplomacy without preconditions. And we reaffirm our commitment to achieving lasting peace and stability in the region, and to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.”
Asked for a response to Russia or China putting a hold on the United States’ sanctions request, Thomas-Greenfield said the Council has these sanctions “for a reason, and for any Member State to oppose putting sanctions on that have been agreed to by the entire Security Council gives, in my view, the DPRK a blank check.” She said it was important that the Council send a “unified message.”
