SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA’S MISSILE LAUNCHES,
UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1695 (2006)
Demands Suspension of All Related Ballistic Missile Activity;
Urges Country to Return Immediately to Six-Party Talks Without Precondition
The United Nations Security Council today condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s recent test-firing of a series of missiles, and demanded that the North-East Asian country suspend all ballistic missile related activity and reinstate its moratorium on missile launches.
Acting “under its special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security”, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 1695 (2006), by the terms of which it also required all Member States to prevent the transfer of missile and missile-related items, materials, goods and technology to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s missile or weapons of mass destruction programmes, as well as procurement of such items and technology from that country. It also addressed the transfer of financial resources in relation to those programmes.
The resolution affirmed that such launches jeopardize peace, stability and security in the region and beyond, particularly in light of the country’s claim that it has developed nuclear weapons. The Council underlined that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea needed to show restraint and refrain from any action that might aggravate tension, and continue to work on the resolution of non-proliferation concerns, through political and diplomatic efforts. In that connection, it strongly urged the country to return immediately to the six-party talks without precondition, to work towards expeditious implementation of the September 2005 joint statement and return to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
Immediately following the adoption, Japan’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs said the consensus resolution marked an important step forward in promoting peace and security on the Korean peninsula and North-East Asia. With the adoption of the text, the Council had acted swiftly and robustly in response to the condemnable act of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in launching the barrage of ballistic missiles on 5 July. Through the resolution, the Council had, in unity, sent a strong and unmistakable message to the country, and had agreed on a set of binding measures, with which both the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Member States were obliged to comply, in order to deal with the situation created by that country.
The representative of the United States noted that it was the first resolution on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea since 1993, reflecting the gravity of the situation, and the unity and determination of the Council. He expressed hope that that country would make the strategic decision that the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction programmes and threatening acts made it less, not more, secure.
China’s representative said that, under the present circumstances, he urged all the parties concerned to practice restraint. He was opposed to any acts that would lead to further tension, and hoped that the resolution adopted today would help all the parties concerned to act calmly and continue the diplomatic endeavours for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the normalization of relations between the countries concerned. Maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula was in the common interests of the international community and the North-East Asian countries, and was the fundamental starting point for China in handling Korean peninsula affairs.
The representative of the Russian Federation stressed that the Council’s actions must be not only firm, but also carefully calibrated and weighed. The main task was for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to return to a moratorium regime on ballistic missile testing and to resume participation in the six-party talks. Driven by those considerations, the Russian Federation had continued to actively harmonize the Council’s reaction.
The representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea condemned the attempt “of some countries to misuse the Security Council for the despicable political aim to isolate and put pressure” on his country, and vowed to continue the launches to bolster his country’s self-defence.
Expressing appreciation for the Council’s unanimous adoption of the resolution, the representative of the Republic of Korea said his Government had been following North Korea’s activities, warning the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea not to conduct any missile launches. In that regard, he urged the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to refrain from any further provocative acts, return to the six-party talks and comply with international efforts for non-proliferation.
Statements were also made by the representatives of the United Kingdom, Argentina, the United Republic of Tanzania and France.
The meeting started at 3.45 p.m. and was adjourned at 4.35 p.m.
Resolution
The full text of resolution 1695 (2006) reads as follows:
“The Security Council,
“Reaffirming its resolutions 825 (1993) of 11 May 1993 and 1540 (2004) of 28 April 2004,
“Bearing in mind the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in north-east Asia at large,
“Reaffirming that proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, constitutes a threat to international peace and security,
“Expressing grave concern at the launch of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), given the potential of such systems to be used as a means to deliver nuclear, chemical or biological payloads,
“Registering profound concern at the DPRK’s breaking of its pledge to maintain its moratorium on missile launching,
“Expressing further concern that the DPRK endangered civil aviation and shipping through its failure to provide adequate advance notice,
“Expressing its grave concern about DPRK’s indication of possible additional launches of ballistic missiles in the near future,
“Expressing also its desire for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the situation and welcoming efforts by Council members as well as other Member States to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue,
“Recalling that the DPRK launched an object propelled by a missile without prior notification to the countries in the region, which fell into the waters in the vicinity of Japan on 31 August 1998,
“Deploring the DPRK’s announcement of withdrawal from the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (the Treaty) and its stated pursuit of nuclear weapons in spite of its Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards obligations,
“Stressing the importance of the implementation of the Joint Statement issued on 19 September 2005 by China, DPRK, Japan, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States,
“Affirming that such launches jeopardize peace, stability and security in the region and beyond, particularly in light of the DPRK’s claim that it has developed nuclear weapons,
“Acting under its special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,
“1. Condemns the multiple launches by the DPRK of ballistic missiles on 5 July 2006 local time;
“2. Demands that the DPRK suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme, and in this context re-establish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on missile launching;
“3. Requires all Member States, in accordance with their national legal authorities and legislation and consistent with international law, to exercise vigilance and prevent missile and missile-related items, materials, goods and technology being transferred to DPRK’s missile or WMD programmes;
“4. Requires all Member States, in accordance with their national legal authorities and legislation and consistent with international law, to exercise vigilance and prevent the procurement of missiles or missile related-items, materials, goods and technology from the DPRK, and the transfer of any financial resources in relation to DPRK’s missile or WMD programmes;
“5. Underlines, in particular to the DPRK, the need to show restraint and refrain from any action that might aggravate tension, and to continue to work on the resolution of non-proliferation concerns through political and diplomatic efforts;
“6. Strongly urges the DPRK to return immediately to the Six-Party Talks without precondition, to work towards the expeditious implementation of 19 September 2005 Joint Statement, in particular to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, and to return at an early date to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards;
“7. Supports the six-party talks, calls for their early resumption, and urges all the participants to intensify their efforts on the full implementation of the 19 September 2005 Joint Statement with a view to achieving the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner and to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in north-east Asia;
