Thank you, Madam President,

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari for his briefing and welcome the participation of the Representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in this meeting.

Guyana condemns the ongoing violations of UN Security Council resolutions. We remain alarmed by the continued launches of ballistic missiles by the DPRK in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including the recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 30th October.

We note with concern that these launches not only increase the security threat to neighbouring countries, but also serve to undermine the global non-proliferation regime.

Madam President,

We have seen in recent months the catastrophic consequences following escalations of tensions in other regions and underscore the need to avoid a similar situation occurring on the Korean Peninsula and the region at large.

In this regard, Guyana once again calls upon the parties to engage in dialogue and diplomacy towards resolving the tensions and ensuring peace on the Peninsula.

We urge the Government of the DPRK to comply fully with all Council resolutions and to abandon its ballistic missile programme, along with all other existing weapons of mass destruction in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.

Madam President,

Guyana remains firm in its conviction that the only way to prevent the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is through their total elimination. We reiterate our belief that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is key to achieving this objective and is critical for the furtherance of international peace and security.

Allow me to conclude by reaffirming Guyana’s firm commitment to the implementation of the Security Council resolutions relating to the DPRK, including through support for the work of the 1718 Sanctions Committee.

I thank you.