Press Statement by Jo Chol Su, Director- General of International Organizations Department of Foreign Affairs of DPRK

 

A recent UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting adopted 60-odd resolutions on disarmament.

Among them, the resolutions under the themes of “Steps to building a common roadmap towards a world without nuclear weapons”, “Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments” and “Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty” carried contents of picking on the DPRK over its measures for bolstering self- defensive capabilities which fall under the sovereign rights of our state. Thus, the DPRK delegation expressed its strong opposition and voted against it.

In particular, we have taken the initiative in voting on the relevant paragraph of the resolution “Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty” from last year. This is to make clear that its anti-DPRK paragraph banning an exercise of its right to self-defence does not reflect the general will of the international community in opposition to the nuclear test.

Last year, six countries abstained in the voting. But this year, 4 countries including the DPRK voted against it, with 6 abstentions. This is clearly recorded in the resolutions adopted at the meeting and the UNGA official documents on the results of the voting on the paragraphs.

All these facts show the number of countries that understand and support the righteous stand of the DPRK increasing.

Nevertheless, the U.S. is employing its mouthpiece to avoid such a fact and only creates a sensation about the draft resolution as a whole, seriously distorting the fact as if friendly countries including China and Russia have taken a stand against the DPRK.

The U.S. is now in its vicious attempt to mislead public opinion while escaping stark reality. This is nothing but a last resort to cover up its criminal act of persistently obstructing the international efforts for nuclear disarmament in every way possible, and to shift the blame of the international community onto the DPRK.

The U.S. voted against most of the 20-odd draft resolutions on nuclear disarmament put to the vote at the UNGA meetings. This fact alone clearly shows who is the very one that has systematically undermined the nuclear disarmament mechanism.

The UN forum where impartiality and equity should be ensured is now being turned into a theatre of confrontation against the DPRK for the U.S. and other hostile forces. Such a disturbing reality reminds us once again of the immutable truth that we have no right to budge even an inch from our righteous decision to safeguard our rights to sovereignty, existence and development.

As stated time and again, we will continue to exercise our legitimate sovereign rights to the full in the future too, no matter what others may say. And we will take all necessary steps to defend the sovereignty of our state and its security interests from all sorts of threats and disruptive moves by hostile forces, and bring regional peace and international justice.