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7638th Security Council Meeting: Non-proliferation, DPRK
New Measures Cover Cargo Inspections, Prohibitions on Aviation Fuel, Rare Minerals.
The Security Council today condemned in the strongest terms the nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 6 January 2016 “in violation and flagrant disregard” of the relevant resolutions, its actions thereby constituting a challenge to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to peace and stability in the region and beyond.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2270 (2016), the 15-member Council also condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea launch of 7 February 2016, using ballistic missile technology, and demanded that it comply immediately with its international obligations. Its previous actions on the subject included the adoption of resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013) and 2094 (2013).
By today’s resolution, the Council decided that all States should inspect cargo within or transiting through their territory — including airports, sea ports and free trade zones — that was destined for or originating from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It also decided that Member States should prohibit that country’s nationals and those in their own territories from leasing or chartering their flagged vessels and aircraft to it, or providing it with crew services. The prohibition should apply also to any designated individuals or entities assisting in the evasion of sanctions or violation of all related resolutions.
The Council also decided that all States should prohibit their own nationals and others subject to their jurisdiction, as well as entities incorporated in their respective territories from registering vessels in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and obtaining authorization for vessels to use their respective flag. In addition, it decided that all States should deny permission for any aircraft to take off from, land at or overfly their respective territories if such aircraft contained items for supply, sale, transfer or export of which were prohibited by all related resolutions, except in cases of emergency landing.
Further by the text, the Council decided that Pyongyang should not supply, sell or transfer coal, iron, iron ore, gold, titanium ore, vanadium ore, and rare earth minerals, and that all States should prohibit their nationals from procuring such materials. By other terms, it decided that all States should prevent the sale or supply of aviation fuel — including aviation gasoline, naphtha-type jet fuel, kerosene-type jet fuel, and kerosene-type rocket fuel — whether or not originating in their own territory, to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
By other terms, the Council decided that Member States should expel Pyongyang’s diplomats, governmental representatives or nationals acting in a governmental capacity who assisted in the evasion of sanctions or the violation of related resolutions. It decided further that all Member States should prevent specialized teaching or training of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nationals within their territories, or by their nationals, in disciplines that could contribute to the proliferation of sensitive nuclear activities or the development of nuclear-weapon delivery systems.
Speaking after the adoption, the representative of the United States said the resolution went further than any other sanctions regime in two decades, emphasizing that multilateral pressure could be effective in bringing Pyongyang back to the table for serious and credible negotiations on denuclearization. Describing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as the only State that had conducted nuclear tests in the twenty-first century, routinely threatening other countries with nuclear annihilation, she noted that the chronic suffering of its people was the direct result of the choices made by their Government.
Echoing that sentiment, the Republic of Korea’s representative warned that a nuclear-armed Pyongyang would impair the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons regime and trigger an arms race in the region. Deploring the use of scarce resources for weapons development while citizens lived in abject poverty, he expressed hope that the resolution would help to alleviate the population’s plight.
The United Kingdom’s representative noted that the resolution contained some of the toughest measures ever taken by the Council, while emphasizing that it was not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences, nor to affect those activities not prohibited by Council resolutions, nor to affect international relief efforts. New provisions on cargo inspection were consistent with obligations set out in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, he added.
China’s representative stressed that the resolution should be a starting point to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, emphasizing that progress on the ground would depend on resuming peace talks and advancing denuclearization. Concurring, the Russian Federation’s representative described the new sanctions as “quite harsh” but necessary for resumption of the six-party process and for Pyongyang’s return to the negotiating table.
Also speaking today were representatives of Japan, France, Spain, Venezuela, Malaysia, New Zealand, Ukraine, Egypt, Senegal, Uruguay and Angola.
The meeting began at 10:10 a.m. and ended at 11:26 a.m.
