First, let me thank USG Rosemary DiCarlo for her brief.
Norway strongly condemns the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 24 March.
The continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles by the DPRK is a direct threat to regional, and international peace and security- and is in violation of several UN Security Council resolutions.
We deeply regret that this latest launch- along with the tests on 27 February and 5 March- leaves no doubt that the DPRK has ended its moratorium on such tests.
It also falls into a pattern of numerous missile tests over the past months, including a variety of missiles, and technologies.
These are cause for great concern.
We continue to stress that the government of the DPRK must comply fully with its international obligations, reverse its course, and rejoin the international non-proliferation regime through the NPT and IAEA safeguards.
President,
The behaviour and threats from the DPRK have reached a new magnitude. And we are concerned that the DPRK will continue to escalate its illegal activities.
Previous reports by the Panel of Experts show the DPRK’s high level of commitment to sustaining and further developing its WMD programmes.
The current path is not only a threat to international peace and security, but it also aggravates an already deteriorating economic, humanitarian, and human rights situation within the country.
The DPRK’s desire to develop nuclear capacities and missile systems does not contribute to the future of the North Korean people. It keeps them stuck in the past.
We are profoundly sad to see that the government continues to channel its resources to weapons development instead of delivering basic services to its own people.
We call on the DPRK to end its self-imposed blockade, and allow the UN, its resident coordinator, and other international organizations to re-enter and resume their humanitarian work.
And we call on North Korea to respond to repeated offers of dialogue, and to take concrete steps to abandon its WMD and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.
Until concrete steps are taken, the sanctions measures imposed by this Council must remain in force and be fully implemented by all States.