May 7, 2025
Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you to Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari and to Mr. James Byrne, for your briefings.
Colleagues, one year ago, Russia vetoed the mandate renewal of the 1718 Committee Panel of Experts with China’s tacit support, depriving all UN Member States of crucial, objective information that helped them implement their obligations under DPRK-related Security Council resolutions, all of which remain in effect.
The United States is grateful that independent and well-regarded experts from organizations like the Open Source Centre continue to investigate and provide credible reporting on violations and evasions of the DPRK-related Security Council resolutions.
Today’s briefing shows the Council will continue to ensure Member States are aware of sanctions violations and evasion activity that generate revenue for the DPRK’s unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs despite Russia’s veto.
Mr. President, the United States thanks the Open Source Centre for systematically examining hundreds of satellite images and building out innovative three-dimensional models of vessels, containers, and munitions to calculate the billions of dollars’ worth of artillery shells, rockets, and other munitions that Russia continues to import from the DPRK in violation of Security Council sanctions.
The DPRK continues brazenly to violate the Council’s resolutions by exporting coal and iron ore to China, the proceeds of which directly fund its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.
Colleagues, Resolutions 1718, 1874, and 2270, collectively, prohibit UN Member States from receiving arms and related materiel, training, or assistance from – or providing them to – the DPRK. The DPRK and Russia have flagrantly violated these resolutions in both directions.
Since September 2023, the DPRK has transferred over 24,000 containers of munitions and munitions-related materiel and well over 100 ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine.
The Open Source Centre’s independent findings corroborate what we have seen in press reporting and other open-source analysis.
It is clear from evidence presented today that Russia is cynically obstructing the Council on DPRK sanctions implementation in order to try to escape reproach for its own violations.
Meanwhile, China insists that it fully implements the Council’s resolutions, but we have just seen evidence of Chinese authorities looking the other way as PRC companies import DPRK coal and iron ore in violation of this Council’s resolutions.
Colleagues, this Council needs to address these egregious violations of Security Council resolutions despite Russia’s and China’s efforts to obstruct the Council from updating the 1718 Sanctions List.
The United States urges all States to ensure their flag registries de-flag vessels for which there is evidence of involvement in sanctions-evasion activities, even if they are not formally designated on the UN’s 1718 Sanctions List due to the obstruction of these two committee members.
Indeed, we recall the obligation set out in Resolution 2397, operative paragraph number 9, which requires all UN Member States to seize, inspect, and impound any vessel in their ports if the Member State has reasonable grounds to believe that the vessel was involved in activities or in the transport of items – such as DPRK-origin coal and iron ore – that are prohibited by certain DPRK-related resolutions.
Mr. President, we call on all UN Member States to fulfill their obligations to implement relevant Security Council resolutions.
In the coming days, we plan to nominate for designation in the 1718 Committee vessels clearly identified in the briefing to which Mr. Byrne referred for violations of UN sanctions restrictions.
We also call on the 1718 Committee to facilitate the implementation of the Council’s sanctions on the DPRK, consistent with its mandate, by updating for the first time since 2018 the list of vessels designated under this regime.
The United States stands ready to work with the rest of the Security Council to reinstate the 1718 Committee Panel of Experts.
Thank you, Mr. President.