New York – 04 February 2022 | Today, the Security Council held closed consultations on the January 30th DPRK’s Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile Launch requested by several countries, Albania included. This is the third time the Council met on addressing the same issue since the beginning of the year 2022.
After the meeting, the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations joined by the Permanent Representatives of Albania; Brazil; France Ireland; Japan; Norway; the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom issued a joined statement condemning in the strongest terms the rocket launch as a significant and troubling escalation in the context of DPRK’s recent violations of multiple Security Council resolutions.
In this regard, the UN Ambassadors welcomed the Secretary’s General statement on Tuesday condemning the DPRK activity. They further stressed the clear call on all the members of the Security Council to speak clear and with one voice in unequivocally expressing concerns over the DPRK’s continued unlawful activities and its unacceptable behavior, underscoring that the cost of the Council’s ongoing silence is too high.
The UN Ambassadors reiterated the call for DPRK to cease its destabilizing actions and return to dialogue for seeking sustainable solutions through diplomacy aiming at easing tensions of the situation of international peace and security.
The 30th January launch marks the DPRK regime’s longest-range test since late 2017. It also marks a new worrying record- the nine ballistic missiles launches within a month is the largest number of rocket launches the DPRK has conducted ever in the history of its WMD and ballistic missile programs.
