General Assembly on the DPRK Resolution

June 8, 2022

Thank you Mr. President, I appreciate the opportunity to address the General Assembly today.

Diplomacy and dialogue represent the only path towards peace and prosperity for the people of the DPRK and the safety and security of the region. We continue our call for the DPRK to re-engage with the international community. But as long as the DPRK refuses to respond to diplomatic overtures and continue the development of weapons of mass destruction, we must act, and we will act.

It is the role and responsibility of the United Nations Security Council to maintain international peace and security.

In this year alone, the DPRK has conducted over thirty ballistic missile tests, all of which are explicitly prohibited by resolutions adopted unanimously by the Security Council.

Moreover, these tests demonstrate the DPRK’s determination to advance and diversify its nuclear capabilities. This is a clear threat to international peace and security, and requires international condemnation and collective action.

It is in nobody’s interest to see another state in possession of nuclear weapons. The nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime, with the Non-Proliferation Treaty as its cornerstone, must be upheld and employed to its fullest towards the complete and verifiable elimination of all DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction programmes.

Like many others who have spoken here today, Canada condemns the DPRK’s repeated ballistic missile tests. The DPRK has reneged on its own commitment to halt long-range missile testing, has not taken any concrete steps to fulfil its commitment to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, and has shown flagrant disregard for United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Yet the Security Council has failed to take unanimous action. Given the gravity of the situation, I must underscore Canada’s disappointment of the inability of the Security Council to adequately respond through the adoption of a resolution, and to uphold its previous decision to take action following further ICBM tests by DPRK.

We would like to underline that sanctions are designed to target the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction program. They are not the impediment to the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of the DPRK as some would suggest.

None of the measures imposed by relevant Security Council resolutions are intended to adversely affect the civilian population; on the contrary, each of these resolutions stipulates that humanitarian activities are not prohibited, and exemptions may be made when required. We would also highlight that the resolution that was vetoed by two Council members would have further streamlined the current procedure for humanitarian exemptions by directing the 1718 Committee to issue a list of well-defined categories of items that would be exempt from the regime on humanitarian grounds.

While we commend efforts at the Security Council to facilitate humanitarian exemptions and the delivery of humanitarian goods, Canada continues to be concerned by the inability of humanitarian personnel to deliver assistance since 2020. We call on the DPRK to respond to offers of assistance from the international community both in terms of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in helping avert what appears to be an impending famine. The international community stands ready to help.

As I said in my opening remarks, diplomacy is essential and the only way forward. We urge the DPRK to cease its pattern of destabilizing behaviour, comply with its international obligations, take concrete steps to reduce tension in the region, and to take stock of the humanitarian cost of its actions. In the absence of a viable path forward, we urge members of the Security Council to engage with the issue, and call on all Member States to fully implement Security Council resolutions.