Statement by H.E. Ambassador YAMAZAKI Kazuyuki, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, at the United Nations Security Council Meeting on “Non-Proliferation/DPRK”

 

Thank you, Madame President, for convening this critical meeting requested by seven Council members including Japan. I also thank ASG Khiari for the briefing.  
 
I must begin with our strong condemnation of yet another launch of an ICBM-class missile by North Korea in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. The latest ICBM is estimated to have landed in the waters near Japan, around only 200 km from the island of Hokkaido.
 
This ICBM launch is more threatening than ever as it reached a height of over 7000 km and a flight time of about 86 minutes, the highest and longest-length trajectory of any missile that North Korea has launched to date. Also, its estimated range capability of 15,000 km covers three fourths of the globe. This launch has deteriorated the not only regional, but the entire global security situation even further, and has brought the gravest threat yet from North Korea to all citizens of the region and beyond.

I reiterate that the launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea are undermining international peace and security that the UN Charter has given this Council the primary responsibility to maintain. I urge all Council members to reaffirm our commitment to the Charter, the supreme instrument of world peace, and to express a united and strong response to this unprovoked incident.
 
Madame President,

Let me take this opportunity to stress the fact that North Korea continues to develop its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programmes unabatedly violating Security Council resolutions.
 
Half a year has passed since the UNSC’s 1718 Committee Panel of Experts was forced to terminate its mandate due to the regrettable veto by Russia. Since then its military cooperation with North Korea has stepped up, including the recent development of North Korean troops being dispatched to Russia.  
 
We cannot just be silent as we see continued violations and evasions of Security Council resolutions across a variety of arenas. Thus Japan, together with like-minded countries, decided to launch a new mechanism, the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, with a view to filling the significant void that the PoE has left behind, and to assisting the full implementation of relevant Council resolutions.

Madame President,

We have just discussed this issue last week, but I once again have to raise the point that the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, poses a great concern to the international community. We have seen the malefaction of Russia’s procurement of ballistic missiles from North Korea, as well as the training of North Korean soldiers, both of which constitute serious violations of relevant Security Council resolutions, and North Korean involvement in Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine would constitute a grave violation of international law, including the UN Charter.

We carefully listened to the Russian and North Korean delegations last week at the Security Council meeting on Maintaining Peace and Security in Ukraine, where they said that their cooperation can be justified as a right of sovereign states, but this recent unlawful military cooperation will never be justified in any case, at any time, anywhere in the world.
 
Madame President,

North Korea has continued to ignore and deny its obligations by pursuing its military ambition at the expense of the welfare of people in North Korea even amidst their great unmet needs. We also should not ignore North Korea’s violations and abuses of human rights including those of abductees of Japan and detainees of the Republic of Korea.

I conclude by once again strongly urging North Korea not to conduct further launches, and to immediately and fully comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as to engage in diplomacy and accept the repeated offers of dialogue.    

I thank you, Madame President.