Statement by H.E. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations during the Security Council Meeting on Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)

Thank you, Mr. President,

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari for his useful briefing and also acknowledge the presence of the Representative of the DPRK.

The Security Council is meeting yet again to discuss another satellite launch by the DPRK in violation of numerous Council resolutions. The launch of the satellite on 27 May 2024 using ballistic missile technology by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea came amidst heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Guyana is deeply concerned about these recurring launches using ballistic missiles, which in addition to violating relevant Security Council resolutions, pose a security threat to neighbouring countries, risks to aviation and maritime traffic in the absence of advance notices, and weaken the non-proliferation regime.

In this context, we condemn the recent launch using ballistic missile technology by the DPRK and implore its Government to comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Government must desist from further launches in violation of the Council’s resolutions, suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme, and abandon all other existing weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programme in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.  

To resolve the conflict on the Korean Peninsula, we encourage the concerned parties to utilize the tools of diplomacy by engaging in constructive dialogue so that there can be progress towards the de-escalation of tensions, and ultimately peace on the Peninsula.

Guyana is also concerned about the dire humanitarian situation in the DPRK alluded to by the Assistant Secretary-General. We have taken note of the readiness of the UN’s humanitarian agency to address the needs of the vulnerable population in the country.

Mr. President,     

Allow me to conclude by referencing the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament in which he states that “the existential threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity must motivate us to work towards their total elimination”. The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is critical to this broad objective.

Guyana is firmly committed to the Council’s efforts to bring about full compliance with its resolutions on the situation in the DPRK.   This is in keeping with our principled stance on the total elimination of nuclear weapons, which we believe is paramount to ensuring international peace and security.

I thank you.