North Korean missiles
The “forced” silence of the Security Council is “dangerous”
The United States on Monday denounced the “forced” silence and the “dangerous” inaction of the Security Council after the missile launches by North Korea.
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US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield on February 20, 2023 in New York.
Getty Images via AFP
“In the face of unprecedented launches last year, two permanent members forced us into silence despite repeated violations by North Korea,” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, referring to vetoes of China and Russia last May against a resolution imposing new sanctions against Pyongyang. “On this vital subject, silence leads to uselessness,” she added during an emergency meeting of the Council after new missile launches in recent days by North Korea.
“The lack of action by the Council is more than shameful, it is dangerous”, but this “failure” to act which “encourages” North Korea to launch these shots “without fear of consequences”, “is not collective , it is specific,” she insisted.
“The reality is that those who protect North Korea from the consequences of these tests (…) put Asia and the whole world in danger”, she indicated, estimating that thanks to the sanctions voted by the Council in 2017 , Pyongyang “had refrained from major provocations for almost five years.
“If two member states continue to prevent this Council from exercising its mandate, we can expect North Korea to defiantly continue to develop and test these weapons,” the ambassador added, noting that the United States United would still propose the adoption of a Council statement condemning these North Korean activities.
Rules of the game
Several other Council members expressed the same condemnation of the North Korean fire. “If we remain silent for fear of further provocations, it will only encourage those who break the rules to write the rules of the game as they wish,” said Japanese Ambassador Ishikane Kimihiro.
“We have to look things in the face. The current escalation is dangerous. And the question is very simple: can this Council agree to North Korea becoming a nuclear state?” added Frenchman Nicolas de Rivière.
The last displays of Security Council unity date back to 2017. Under the administration of Republican Donald Trump, the United States had unanimously passed three Security Council resolutions imposing three rounds of heavy economic sanctions on Pyongyang after missile and nuclear tests.
(AFP)