‘UNSC Must Condemn N Korea’s Missile Tests’

United Nations, Feb 5: The US and eight other countries have urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to condemn North Korea’s recent missile tests. According to Yonhap, the US and other like-minded countries on Friday tried for the second time in about two weeks to hold North Korea accountable for its recent series of missile launches. Pyongyang had tested its seventh and last round of missile launch of the year on January 30.

“North Korea’s January 30 launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) is a significant escalation in Pyongyang’s recent violations of multiple Security Council resolutions and seeks to further destabilize the region. We condemn this unlawful action in the strongest terms,” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a joint statement.

The statement was signed by UN representatives from eight countries — Albania, Brazil, Britain, France, Ireland, Japan, Norway and the UAE. They said that Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was the longest-range test conducted by North Korea since late 2017. Pyongyang has fired nine ballistic missiles in the seven rounds of missile tests this year. The countries said, “We call on all Council members to speak with one voice in condemning these dangerous and unlawful acts.” They said the silence will “embolden” North Korea to “further defy the international community; to normalise its violations of Security Council resolutions; to further destabilize the region; and to continue to threaten international peace and security. This is an outcome that we should not accept.”