(Check against delivery)
Statement by H.E. Ambassador Koro Bessho
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
Statement after the vote (DPRK)
30 November 2016
Thank you, Mr. President.
And thank you, Secretary-General, for the strong statement on this important matter.
Japan welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2321. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the United States for taking the lead. Our appreciation also goes to all other members of the Security Council for their support. Japan is pleased to have contributed throughout the process.
The fact that this robust resolution was passed unanimously deserves attention. We have attained a great number of co-sponsoring countries from outside the Security Council as well. Now, not only Council members but all UN Member States share a common responsibility to fully implement this resolution.
Mr. President,
Japan, together with the international community, once again strongly condemns the repeated violations of Security Council resolutions by North Korea. We urge North Korea to fully comply with the relevant resolutions, including today’s, and to abide by its other international commitments.
This resolution does not impose sanctions for the sake of sanctions. It is a tool to correct North Korea’s course of action. This is a sincere call from the international community to North Korea, urging it to abandon its nuclear ambitions and return to the negotiating table. We are always ready to resume dialogue if North Korea shows sincere commitment and concrete steps to denuclearization. And in order for North Korea to change its attitude, we have no other option but to continue to increase pressure.
Resolution 2270, adopted in March, was already very robust and comprehensive. However, some “livelihood” exemptions for the people of North Korea in the resolution have been misused.
The resolution adopted today closes these gaps and introduces new additional measures. Drastic coal import limitations, additional sectoral bans to cut revenues, and other measures should all have significant impact on the North Korean nuclear and missile developments /programs.
At the same time, I emphasize that these sanctions are not meant to target ordinary North Korean citizens. It should not be forgotten that North Korea’s nuclear and missile development continues at the expense of the welfare of the people in North Korea.
It is significant that heightened attention has been paid in this resolution to this nexus between people’s unmet needs and the continuation of nuclear/missile development. We welcome stronger emphasis on the deplorable humanitarian conditions in North Korea, including the abductions issue, to which Japan attaches utmost importance.
Mr. President,
We unfortunately have heard some skeptical voices in the process of implementing resolution 2270, suggesting that nuclear and missile development has not stopped even after the adoption, and that resolution 2270 is not as effective as it should be. I believe that this entails confusing cause and effect: to the extent that 2270 measures were unsuccessful, it was precisely because of these skeptical voices.
In other words, international efforts have not kept pace with North Korea’s capacity to evade sanctions or its determination to continue nuclear development.
Now is precisely the time for the international community to rigorously implement the resolution and send a strong, unified message that North Korea cannot afford to continue its current policy. Japan will continue to work very closely with members of the Council and all UN Member States to reach a comprehensive solution to the problems related to North Korea.
I thank you, Mr. President.
