7 May 2025
Thank you President.
I would like to begin by thanking ASG Khiari and Mr. Byrine for their briefings.
Mr. President,
Well over a year has passed since Russia’s veto prevented the mandate renewal of the 1718 Panel of Experts. So, for over a year, the Council has had no tool for independent and professional monitoring of sanctions implementation. No objective and comprehensive updates about the latest sanctions contravention techniques. No impartial assessments that could guide Council’s activities regarding the DPRK sanctions regime.
Maybe a mere coincidence, but the resolution was vetoed exactly when the Panel commenced its investigation into Russia’s violations of the arms embargo against the DPRK. If that was the reason for the veto, then this is really deeply disturbing.
The recent public acknowledgement of military cooperation between the two countries, including the presence of the DPRK troops in Europe, raises serious concerns about the extent of the arms embargo violations.
Publicly available information suggests arms transfers at a significant scale. This must be thoroughly investigated and these blatant violations of the Security Council resolutions must cease immediately.
Mr. President,
Slovenia is gravely concerned with the trajectory of the DPRK’s nuclear program. For years, the DPRK has been violating Security Council resolutions through testing nuclear weapon delivery systems. These systems are reportedly being used in attacks on Ukrainian cities, thus being field-tested for future use elsewhere. This is alarming.
Equally troubling are the recent statements about the presumed obsolescence and redundancy of the DPRK sanctions regime and statements on the DPRK’s nuclear status.
Slovenia remains convinced that sanctions must remain focused on their core objective: creating conditions conducive to the DPRK abandoning its illegal WMD and ballistic missile programs.
It is our responsibility to ensure that existing measures achieve this goal. We are ready to support readjustments of the sanctions regime in order to maintain it relevant and fit for purpose. However, we are not ready to endorse any broader revisions or reforms of it. The DPRK has demonstrated far too little willingness to engage on nuclear disarmament to justify such measures.
Mr. President,
North Korea needs to be denuclearised and this can only follow if the Council can find unity and employ all diplomatic means to make the DPRK cease with its provocations and bring it back to dialogue. For Slovenia, this remains the only legitimate option.
I thank you.