The United Kingdom has called for decisive action from the UN Security Council in response to North Korea’s ongoing nuclear and ballistic missile activities.
Speaking at the Security Council meeting on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Fergus Eckersley, the UK Political Counsellor, spoke of the urgent need for the Council to address these violations, according to a statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
On 31 May 2024, at the United Nations in New York, Eckersley delivered a pointed address concerning recent provocations by North Korea. “On Monday, the DPRK launched a military satellite for the fourth time. The launch failed, but make no mistake this remains a flagrant violation of this Council’s resolutions,” he stated.
The following day, North Korea escalated tensions further by firing a volley of eighteen short-range ballistic missiles, marking the highest number of missiles fired in a single launch. This act, Eckersley noted, violated multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
Eckersley condemned the lack of action by the Council, stressing that “Such flagrant violations of Council resolutions cannot be ignored, nor can they be explained away by false equivalence with defensive military exercises.” He criticised certain Council members for suggesting that reduced scrutiny and pressure might improve the situation, asserting, “Well, that approach has categorically failed. They have blocked meaningful action to address the DPRK’s activity and it has simply got worse.”
The speech also touched on concerning reports of external support for North Korea’s activities. “We are particularly disturbed to hear reports that Russian technicians may have assisted the DPRK with its space programme,” Eckersley said, referencing the Russian President’s pledge last year to aid North Korea’s space activities. He also deplored evidence indicating that Russia is using North Korean missiles in its conflict in Ukraine.
Eckersley underscored the broader implications of these actions, warning that “Deliberately undermining the global non-proliferation regime and this Council’s authority is a risk to all of us.”
The UK Political Counsellor expressed deep concern over the humanitarian situation in North Korea and urged the country to reopen its borders and engage with UN agencies. He called on North Korea to cease further launches and to dismantle its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.
Excuse my cynicism, but how the heck is the toothless UN going to force North Korea to comply?
Which resolutions are NK in violation of? Are they legally binding or merely exhortations? It withdrew from the non-proliferation treaty so it’s not that.
I wonder if we do ourselves any favour stating things like:
“And we deplore the evidence found by members of the Panel of Experts that Russia is using the DPRK’s missiles in its illegal war in Ukraine.”
As opposed to Mr Putin deploring the evidence of his experts that British Stormshadow missiles are being used by Ukraine.
If North Korea has broken a binding resolution of the Security Council, we should be saying which one, and not just impotently mouthing off. I’m sure there are real issues with what NK is up to, but this is not the way to make the case.
So the U.N. will organise a weekend in the West Indies for all delegates so that the problem can be discussed without being overheard by anything other than the lapping of the waves and the clink of glasses. 😇
Not at Anglo Caribbean association run by Sir Arnold son? We are still far from “winter months”